Gundam Build Fighters EXCELSA
by MarikaKato7
Summary: 16 year old Levanah Morgan is an up and coming Gunpla Fighter, starting her Summer break when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to compete in the 9th Gunpla Battle World Championship. But there are many challenges ahead before that becomes a reality. Does she have what it takes to make it to the finals? - OC-centric, contains f/f.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam franchise. If I did, Turn A would have an English dub by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Aim For The Top!<strong>

* * *

><p>Low, hushed whispers from a stadium crowd fill the air. The whispers are interrupted by an announcer's voice and a spotlight piercing through the darkness, shining on the figure of a boy, no more than 13 years old, dressed in a simple white jacket and blue shorts. His expression is full of confidence, eagerness, as he listens to the announcer call his name. "Ladies and gentlemen, the 7th Gunpla Battle World Champion, here again to fight for his title, let's hear a round of applause for IORI SEI!"<p>

The crowd goes wild as the boy raises his fist in the air. Men and women, boys and girls of all ages cheering the boy's name. A second spotlight shines upon a figure on the opposite side of the arena, and as the announcer is about to speak...

"Levanah! Come on already!"

"All right, all right dad, sheesh!' A teenage girl presses pause on a remote, grumbling a bit under her breath. "Damn it, and at the last match too..." The girl hops off her bed, hurriedly putting on a presentable outfit, plain white pants and a navy blue shirt, grey windbreaker with light blue waist and armbands on top. She pulls her brunette ponytail through the back of a white and blue baseball cap, a quick grab for her brown satchel as she dashes out her room's door. Swiftly running down the hallway she almost stumbles into a tall man in his late 40's, dressed in casual white business attire. He chuckles and pats the girl on the head.

"Come on kiddo, I know it's the last day and all but it's no excuse to just start skipping out on your classes." The man smiles. "Last year's Tournament will still be here when you get home."

"I knoooow, but I was at the final match!" The girl gave a light jab up into the air. "Champion Sei Iori defends his title against-"

"When. You. Get. Home." The man adamantly emphasizes, smile changing to an obviously faked frown. He then calls out to another room, "Jodi, she's finally ready, so we'll be heading off! You take care, hon!"

"All right, I'll be gone by the time you're back!" a woman's voice called back.

The father and daughter walk out the door, the girl's mind filled with thoughts of that final match. Sure she knew the outcome, but knowing it is nothing like seeing it happen. She looked up, staring at the slightly cloudy sky.

The girl's name is Levanah Morgan, 16 year old resident of New York City. She lives with her mom and dad, Mike and Jodi Morgan. An average, somewhat tomboyish girl, fascinated by the robots, machines, mechs. A fan of the Gundam metaseries and a variety of other mecha series as well. And above all, she is a Gundam Plastic Model, Gunpla, Builder and Fighter, with dreams of going head to head against some of the best in the world. By the end of the day, those dreams would be one step closer to reality.

* * *

><p>The sound of ringing bells and cheering boys and girls break the relative silence of a High School near Central Park. Kids, teenagers anywhere between the ages of 14 and 18, pour out of the school. Levanah, flanked on the right by a blonde girl, slightly shorter than her and wearing a modest white jumper dress over an orange shirt, and a bespectacled Asian boy, about the same height as the blonde and wearing a red and white track suit, let out a loud yawn.<p>

"It wasn't thaaaat tiring, Levvy." The blonde remarked, a soft giggle following. "Besides, the school year's finally over! You should be excited!"

"Methinks that little miss Pirate didn't get enough sleep last night, Belle." The boy snarked aloud. "Up trying to finish the 8th World Championship, I take it? How far did you get, anyway?"

"Made it to the last round before I had to leave. You'll get it back tomorrow, Blair." Levanah stretched out her arms, letting out another yawn before rubbing her eyes. "But that's later, you two wanna do anything? Dad's not gonna be here for a few hours." The two shrugged in response to her question as they all walked along behind the crowded sidewalk. As they reached the crosswalk, Belle piped up.

"Ah! We could just head to the arcade, I bet Levvy has a few things she wants to try out there."

"We could head to the Hobby shop nearby, too. I've been meaning to throw some money at a new kit, for practice." Blair replied.

Levanah laughed. "All right, all right, mall it is, then." The trio crossed the street, walking along and chatting among themselves as they headed towards a somewhat large building, only four stories in height but noticeably wider than the surrounding structures. This mall was filled with people, a significant portion being the kids from the nearby High School. Levanah's group wandered in the direction of the food court, still conversing, discussing plans for Summer vacation, but stopped upon hearing unusual music coming from the arcade. Not unusual in the sense of unfitting, but unusual in that it sounded... live, as if two guitarists and one singer were performing there. They headed closer, finding a small crowd gathered near the entrance as Levanah and Blair recognized the tune being played. Levanah spoke up, "Is that...?"

"Rhythm Emotion, yeah. Well, an electric guitar cover of it at least." Blair stated, adjusting his glasses. Beyond the crowd they could see a girl with dyed purple and blonde hair, maybe 17 years old, wearing a black tank-top with a purple vest over it, matching black short shorts and tall boots with purple pantyhose underneath. She was performing on what seemed to be a modified Gunpla Battle Field stage, a noticeably modified guitar in her hands, when the three noticed a smaller figure flying around her. Blair let out a short gasp as he noticed the figure was also playing its guitar along with the girl. "An Extreme Gundam? But... that rifle, that's not its usual equipment." Belle was lost trying to understand what the two were talking about, a puzzled look on her face as she tugged on the sleeve of Levanah's windbreaker.

"Levvy, what's an 'Extr-'?"

The question was interrupted by a synthesized voice, let out a loud statement:

[BATTLE ENDED]

The crowd's attention turned for a moment away from the guitarist to the arcade's main Gunpla Battle Field. A young boy, brown haired and dressed in a uniform for a nearby Private School, hung his head as he collected his Gunpla, a green and white Zeta Gundam with a Zaku head. A far older boy, with scruffy black hair and a white jersey, laughed at the younger one, his arms crossed. "And that's win number nine. You didn't stand a chance, kid!" Looking at the other Gunpla, it wasn't hard to see why. The imposing frame of a slightly modified Neo-Zeong sat on the table, without the booster "legs" and black and gold highlights complimenting its primarily red color scheme. The older boy addressed the crowd, "Anyone else want to take on my Neo-Zeong Tyrant? See if they can stop my win streak?" Levanah gripped her satchel, an angry glare directed towards him. Belle looked at her, then towards Blair.

"S-she has that look in her eyes again, Blair." she commented in a nervous voice.

Blair nodded at her, then tried to address Levanah. "Hey, maybe we should just let this-"

"You say you're accepting challengers. Well, here's your next one." She was already at one end of the hexagonal Battle Field before Blair and Belle even noticed she had moved. The girl pointed at the pilot of the Neo-Zeong. "Name's Levanah Morgan, and I'll be the one to break that win streak of yours."

The boy chuckled. "You think you can stop my Neo-Zeong Tyrant? This match will be over in less than two minutes!"

The guitarist, almost unnoticed since the end of the previous battle, addressed the crowd. "Woohoo, ladies and gentlemen, looks like we've got another heated battle starting up! Can this new girl topple Zack Brendans, or will he reach a tenth victory in a row? Fighters, are you ready?!"

The synthetic voice of the battle announcer came on again:

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

Both fighters placed the rectangular GP Bases down. Zack moved his Neo-Zeong back to the starting position, the Gunpla barely fitting. The guitarist addressed the crowd again, a riff from her guitar followed by one from the Extreme Gundam flying around her, "Let's have a good show!" She started to play the instrumental opening of "Stand Up To The Victory" as another announcement came forth:

[BEGINNING PLAVSKY PARTICLE DISPERSAL]

A bluish glow filled the space around the two fighters as Levanah pulled her Gunpla out of her satchel, light cloth obscuring most of it, but the signature X-shaped thrusters on the back made it clear what it was.

[FIELD 01: SPACE]

The interior of the Battle Field became a holographic projection of space, the bottom becoming a lunar surface. The crowd had hushed slightly as "Stand Up To The Victory" continued to play in the background.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GUNPLA]

Levanah placed hers on the starting base as holographic interfaces surrounded both fighters. She took in a deep breath, grabbing the holographic controls.

[BATTLE START]

"Neo-Zeong Tyrant! Launch!"

"Crossbone Gundam X-7! Launch!'

The thrusters under the Neo-Zeong fired up, the frame moving into the battlefield at a steady pace. The Crossbone's thrusters lit up as well, dashing towards its opponent, cloak fluttering slightly. The moment the smaller Gunpla was in range, the Neo-Zeong unleashed a flurry of beams towards it. As if expecting it, the hands of the Crossbone flung out of the cloak, palms splayed open as vents on the lower arms opened as well. The beams flew towards the Crossbone... and were promptly deflected. Zack seemed stunned for a few seconds as the Crossbone kept closing in.

"Tch, I was just making sure you're no rookie, girl! But you're still no match!" Zack tapped one of the buttons on his controls, selecting another weapon. "Take this!" A dozen wired claws spread out from the Neo-Zeong, attempting to halt the Crossbone's advance in its tracks. They were met with what seemed like a sheet of bullet fire from the smaller Gunpla's head Vulcans, it dodging the few that survived the onslaught almost effortlessly.

Levanah smirked, gripping the controls and pushing them forward, her Crossbone accelerating. It gripped two objects from under its cloak, throwing them at the Neo-Zeong. Expecting explosives, Zack maneuvered his mammoth Gunpla out of harm's way... and almost slapped himself when he finally noticed that they weren't explosives, but the Crossbone's Beam Zanber and Buster Gun. Turning his attention back to the opponent as warnings popped up in his terminal, Zack almost shrieked at the image of the pirate Gundam's mug occupying the viewscreen, mouth-vent open and emitting a haunting yellow glow. Zack attempted to swat at the Gundam to no avail, the large thrusters on the back keeping it at a distance. The Crossbone now overhead, he then attempted to use the Sinanju inside to fire its Bazooka at it, only for a claw coming from the Gundam's skirt armor to grapple it away.

The crowd remained mostly silent, either watching the battle or paying attention to the guitarist still, Levanah's friends fixated on her. Zack grew more and more noticeably nervous to the audience. He let out a yell, gripping the holographic controls and taking aim at the Crossbone with the Sinanju's Beam Rifle as he prepared the Neo-Zeong's PsychoShard in what seemed like a last-ditch, all out attempt to end this match quickly. The Rifle fired, Belle letting our a gasp as she saw it strike the Crossbone. Zack seemed to shout a celebratory "Aha!" but stopped short as the Gundam itself was undamaged, cloak breaking and burning away to reveal the navy blue and white frame of the Gundam, a stylized skull-and-crossbones emblem with a large number seven next to it on the chest. A small dagger darted out of the foot of the Crossbone as its thrusters fired up, the blade glowing red hot.

Levanah finally broke her silence, shouting aloud, "Dagger! INAZUMA! _KIIIIIICK!_" The guitarist in the background hit the final verse of her song. Sweat dripping down from his brow, Zack tried one more time to fire at the Gundam but failed to hit, the golden ring of the PsychoShard not yet fully ready, the arms of the Neo-Zeong flailing around in an attempt to swat the opponent away. This final miss proved fatal, as the Crossbone plunged its Heat Dagger right into the Sinanju's chest. A second kick pushed the Gundam out of its opponent while also increasing size of the gash the dagger left in it, dashing off to collect its discarded weapons, crossing its arms as the Sinanju exploded. The boy's head hung low upon hearing the announcer declare:

[BATTLE ENDED]

The holograms began to disperse. Zack sulked over to try and collect his behemoth Gunpla, but stopped as he saw an outstretched hand. "That was a nice try." Levanah said to him. "Problem was you were kinda relying too much on just overwhelming your opponent through sheer firepower. You've gotta plan things out more, strategize." The boy was somewhat dumbfounded. Levanah scratched the back of her head, continuing, "And probably isn't the best idea to go around with such an expensive kit, damage adds up pretty fast, even with something like that much firepower." She looked towards her opponent's now motionless Gunpla. "Kinda tried to leave as little damage on the Mobile Armor as possible. Sinanju's an easier thing to replace and repair."

Zack stared at her silently, then at his Neo-Zeong. He smiled, finally shaking her hand. "Thanks, uh..."

"Levanah. Levanah Morgan. And you're Zack...?"

"Zack Rolla." he replied.

"One last suggestion, then. Based on your fighting style, you might do a bit better when a smaller, ranged heavy-weapons Mobile Suit. Try a Heavyarms or Leopard, or maybe even a Seravee."

"Hah, I'll think about that." Zack gathered his Gunpla, carefully carrying it as he walked off. The battle's audience gathered around Levanah, people bombarding her with questions. Blair rushed to recover her Gunpla as Belle pulled her away from the crowd. A good five or six minutes passed before they were clear from the onlookers, all three letting out deep sighs.

"Just had to make a point, didn't you?" Blair grumbled towards Levanah.

"The guy was hiding behind power to make up for skill. Sure it'll get you a few wins in the short run, but it's not a good way to go about Gunpla Battle. You'll end up crashing pretty hard eventually." she defended, arms crossed. "Difference in skill can make a Jegan topple a Devil Gundam."

Blair rolled his eyes at that comment. He knew it was technically true, but somehow it just felt like too far a stretch, at least for any couple of Fighters of vaguely similar skill levels. Belle barely understood the reference, but could at least make a guess at what it meant. The three walked along for a bit before a voice called out to them. "Hey, heeeey! Crossbone Girl!" To their surprise, it was the guitarist from the arcade running towards them, guitar now in a black case slung over her shoulder. "That was quite a show you put on there. You were on fire!"

Levanah smiled and blushed a little at the compliment. "W-well, it was nothing, really." She scratched the back of her head, looking away. "I've... kinda had a good deal of practice. Say, I was actually wondering, what was with that concert thing back there? This is the first I've heard of someone performing a rock song with Gunpla. Well, with the Gunpla participating at the very least."

The girl placed her hands on her hips, a wide, cheeky grin on her face. "It's a special kind of promotion for the upcoming World Championship." She pulled out her Extreme Gundam from part of her guitar case, showing it to Levanah. Build quality was top-notch, engineering above what one would get from the base kit, but what amazed her was the accessory, a fully functional, miniature guitar in the shape of a Beam Rifle. "Straight from the geniuses at Yajima, with a bit of help from Bandai, of course. Oh! Forgive me, I still haven't introduced myself." She jabbed a thumb's-up into the air and then pointed it at herself, her grin going from what seemed to be ear to ear. "Haley Jo, Junior Promoter of the 9th Gunpla Battle World Championship!"

Levanah and Blair's jaws dropped. Even Belle showed some surprise at that statement. Haley continued, "That gig there was just a little preview thing, the real promotion starts this Sunday." She then pointed at Levanah and winked. "So, how about it, hot stuff? You gonna try and enter?"

Levanah's face went bright pink. "Ah... um... y-yeah! Yes!" Blair and Belle turned their heads towards her, blank expressions occupying their faces as the girl clumsily returned the Extreme Gundam to its owner.

"Awesome! I'll see you then!" Haley ran off before Levanah could get another word out, probably to her benefit. An awkward silence persisted among the three for a couple minutes, though it felt like an hour. It finally was broken by quiet snickering coming from Blair and Belle.

"W-what? What?" Levanah exclaimed, a prominent blush still on her face.

"Levvy and Haley, sitting in a~"

"Belle!" Levanah tried to grab her, the blonde easily escaping her grasp, laughing teasingly.

Blair chuckled to himself. "I guess there are worse reasons for making a fool of yourself. It's not like you were just going to pass it by, anyway." Levanah gave something halfway between a grumble and low growl as a response to his remark, Belle nudging her in the shoulder teasingly.

"You guys suck..." Levanah spoke in a tone of defeat, head hanging down.

"Aw, don't be like that. I think it's kinda cute." Belle poked the other girl's rosy-red cheek. "Levvy wants to impress her crush~"

"I-I met her like fifteen minutes ago!"

"That isn't a denial." Blair adjusted his glasses, smirking.

"Can, can we just drop this? Please?" The girl's friends nodded, letting the issue go. For now. Levanah let out a deep, exasperated sigh. "Thank you. Sheesh, with friends like these..." A bit of normalcy returned to their conversation, switching to now-modified weekend plans. A good twenty minutes pass before Levanah gets a call on her cell-phone. The conversation is short and to the point. She turns to her friends. "Well, dad's at the mall entrance. I'll see you two Sunday, then?"

"Of course. But do try to get some sleep between now and then, Levanah."

"Harder to impress a girl with bags under your eyes~"

"Why you-!" her friends started running off, laughing, before she could finish. They both waved to her, Levanah smiling and waved back, dashing towards the mall's entrance. Her father was waiting for her outside.

"Well, seems like you had a good day, kiddo." Mike patted his kid on the head, Levanah swatting his arm away.

"School was about what you'd expect, but you'll never believe what happened afterward."

"Hah, I somehow doubt that." He guided his kid into the black car he was leaning on, listening to her recount her fight against Zack Rolla and his Neo-Zeong. As they drove away, she got to the part about promising to join the Sunday tournament. While still keeping his eyes on the traffic ahead, Mike raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. Levanah then became unusually quiet, looking away from her father. The awkward silence continued for a couple blocks, only real sound coming from the hum of the car's engine. Mike cleared his throat, deciding to break this pause in conversation himself. "So... what's her name?"

"DAD!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Gundam franchise. Nor do I own the rights to certain franchises whose names begin with the letters "M," "G," and most certainly not another model-kit-centric franchise beginning with the letter "Z."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: No Future for the Fearful<strong>

* * *

><p>11:24 AM, a Sunday. The cool breeze of morning was easing up, the Summer sun's warmth slowly heating the streets of New York City. Outside a mall near Central Park, a girl stands with her mother and father. The father wearing a casual white collared shirt and dark beige pants, mother in a red dress. The daughter had on much the same outfit she wore there two days ago, save one minor detail: her ears were adorned with small skull-and-crossbones earrings. Her name is Levanah Morgan. She's entered a local Gunpla tournament, looking for a chance at getting into the American championship and possibly even the 9th World Championship finals. And though she'd die trying to admit it, her entry there had another motive; impressing a guitarist girl she met that same Friday.<p>

"Well... it's do or die time now." Levanah gulped, stepping forward through the mall's entrance.

"You sure you'll be fine, kiddo?" her father elbowed her arm gently. "Not too nervous about this?"

"Hah. Dad, really. I'll be fine." She looked to the side, noticing several people turning their heads towards her family. Or more specifically, her father. The people started whispering to themselves. Levanah smiled and sighed, commenting, "Besides, I think it'd be better if you stay on the sidelines. Don't wanna cause too many distractions, do you?" The man gave a loud laugh in reply, his wife chuckling slightly as well.

"Well well well, my little girl's growing up so fast. Doesn't need her parents' help anymore." the woman spoke, patting Levanah on the head. "Well when you meet that guitarist again, call me. I have all the embarrassing baby photos ready to share~"

"Mooooom!" the girl groaned, swatting her mother's arm away. The response only made the woman chuckle even louder. "Grugh... I'll see you both later." She placed both hands behind her head, walking away from her parents and towards the arcade, satchel swinging slightly at her side. Noticing her friends, Belle and Blair, she waved to them. They didn't respond, apparently talking with someone, so Levanah called out to them. They turned to face her and the girl's face went white upon seeing who they were talking to.

"Long time no see, Levanah." a short, bespectacled ginger girl spoke, a haughty smile across her lips accentuating the haughty tone of her voice. Small, dangling earrings and a necklace adorning her, both with red gems in them, making a quiet jingle as she walked forward. She wore a pink, sleeveless turtleneck, simple, tight red pants, and black boots. She ran her fingers through her long, slightly messy red hair. "Heard you were going to try and win this little tournament here, that true?"

Levanah spun around and attempted to walk off, the other girl grabbing her windbreaker to prevent her from doing so. Levanah slowly turned her head, forcing a smile. "H-h-hheey... R-Rin..."

"Relax, relax." The shorter girl released her grip on the windbreaker. "I'm not here to steal your thunder."

"Thanks..." the taller girl mumbled in response, slouching her shoulders slightly as she breathed out a sigh of relief. Levanah looked at the girl, legs trembling slightly. Rin Ivana, 15, someone she's known since childhood. One could say they were friends, perhaps even best of friends. But one would also have to say they were rivals, and fierce ones at that. A child prodigy, already working at a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, attending college in upstate New York. And though Levanah would hate to admit it, Rin was also a far better Gunpla Fighter. "Hey, what are you doing here anyway?" she questioned.

"Semester's over. I have a bit of time to myself, time to see my old friends again." Rin pulled Belle and Blair close, a wide, less haughty grin on her face. "So, still haven't answered my question."

"Heh, well, yeah... it's true." Levanah said, scratching the back of her head.

"Levvy made quite an impression on Friday, took out a Neo... um... Neo-Z..." Belle spoke up, but stopped halfway, trying to remember the name of the opponent's Gunpla.

"Neo-Zeong. Neo-Zeong 'Tyrant,' I believe its builder, Zack, called it." Blair finished for her, adjusting his glasses.

"Impressive." Rin commented, raising an eyebrow and adjusting her own glasses.

"Eh... not really. Fighter wasn't all that skilled, mostly relying on the power behind it to back himself up." Levanah shrugged. "Gave him some kit and tactical suggestions, and that's about it." Belle and Blair grinned upon hearing the last part of that sentence, looking at each other. Levanah glared at the both of them, only getting a smile in response.

"Well, I guess I'm rooting for you, Levanah." Rin's haughty tone returned with a vengeance. "Who knows, maybe you'll face ME in the Championships."

"Getting ahead of yourself as usual, I see." Levanah gave a pout, but finally chuckled lightly. "Some things never change. Well, I gotta get ready." She rushed into the arcade, to a short line behind a registration booth. Her and seven other people, five teens and two adults, were called to draw lots from a jar. Levanah smiling upon seeing hers. "Lucky number seven, huh?" she wondered aloud. Sure it meant having the last of the matches, but it also gave her an idea of what to expect from opponents, she reasoned.

On the Gunpla Battle Field, a bracket graphic formed, numbers one through eight with names displayed vertically underneath. Lights in the arcade dimmed, a sizable crowd now gathered around. A spotlight shined through onto a stage, lighting up the figure of Haley Jo, guitarist and announcer. She addressed the crowd, "Heeeellooooo New York! Are you ready for some rockin' Gunpla Battles?!" The crowd cheered in response, Levanah finding herself joining in, smiling wide. "All right, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! First match, Tom Davis and Ryo Romano!"

Two boys, both about 17, stepped forward. They seemed similar in disposition, wild black hair and sharp, somewhat upwards-pointed sideburns, Tom's being thinner and Ryo's being fuller. They were dressed simply, almost matching, only really notable feature distinguishing the two's outfits being Ryo's red scarf. The synthetic announcer called to them:

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

Both did so, and the announcer continued its calls. Haley strummed her guitar, her Extreme Gundam starting up, floating around her. The strums transformed into a beat, Haley started playing the first opening of G Gundam, "Flying in the Sky." Both fighters were ready, and the synthetic announcer made its final call:

[BATTLE START]

"Majin Zeta! Go!"

"Victory Getter! Shine!"

Highly customized variations on a Zeta Gundam and, unusually, a 1/100 scale Master Grade Victory Gundam, larger than most of the other High Grade Gunpla used in battles, blitzed towards one another across desert terrain. Rin edged her way through the crowd, closer to Levanah. She spoke quietly to her, "I hope you're ready to face people like these two. Because from this point on, everyone will have Gunpla with the same level of effort and dedication put into them, and," she paused to adjust her glasses again, "most likely the skills necessary to back it up."

"Yeah... but that's what makes it exciting, isn't it? Going against the best in the world..." Levanah replied, watching the battle intently. The fists of Majin Zeta launched from the arms, flying towards its opponent. Victory Getter reacted by splitting into its component Core, Top, and Bottom Fighters, all three dashing past the Zeta and recombining behind it, pulling out an appropriately sized Heat Hawk axe from the back. It slammed the weapon at the Zeta, but the strike was caught by the smaller Gunpla's returning arm, sinking in but not breaking through. A jab to the Victory's face blinded it temporarily, letting the Zeta get some distance, panels on the chest, right above the vents, opening to reveal hidden Beam Rifles. They fired relentlessly at the opponent, finally taking it down. The call was made:

[BATTLE ENDED]

The crowd cheered for the victor, who himself walked over to his opponent. Both smiled and laughed, bumping fists, complimenting each other on a good battle. Levanah smiled wide at the display. _That right there_, she thought to herself, _was the true essence of Gunpla Battle_.

"All right folks, Tom Davis is the winner! Let's give another round of applause for a fantastic battle!" Haley shouted, the crowd cheering again. The bracket returned to the Battle Field, Tom's name moving up. "Next match, Alonso Quixano and Raito Yamato! Fighters, please step up to the Battle Field!" An older man, dressed in a very well cared for military uniform and almost knight-like helmet, stepped forward, carefully holding a Nether Gundam seated on the top of a Fuunsaiki. Belle had to hold back laughter, seemingly one of the few in the crowd who got the older man's "joke." His opponent was a young man, no more than 18 or 19, of average height and build, well-combed brown hair matching his eyes, dressed in a very formal brown suit. His Gunpla was a white Sinanju, backpack modified with the feathery wings of Wing Zero Custom.

"Well, someone sees himself as the second coming of something." Blair snarked, frowning at the appearance of the younger man's Gunpla. "Hmph. And how very tacky." he added.

"He's confident, though. Look at that smug smile on his face." Rin pointed out, her voice tense.

"Sounds like someone I know." commented Levanah in return, gently elbowing Rin in the shoulder. Announcements continued, Haley starting to play the second opening to G Gundam, "Trust You Forever." Finally, the announcement was made:

[BATTLE START]

...the fight lasted 14 seconds. The Nether Gundam and its pilot didn't even have time to react as a single, small, almost invisible Funnel fired into the Gundam's chest. Two of the tournament's fighters forfeited on the spot, sulking away. They were followed by Alonso, look of disillusionment on his face. His opponent didn't even bother to look at him, carrying his undamaged Gunpla away. Haley seemed somewhat upset by the quick ending to the match, her Extreme Gundam sitting on her head.

Rin was glaring at the victor, gritting her teeth. "Levanah."

"Y-yes?" the taller girl almost jumped at hearing her name called.

"I want you to kick that guy's ass." the shorter girl commanded. The only response she got was a slightly nervous sigh from her friend. Raito sat down in a chair, a notebook in his hand, seemingly writing something in it. The tournament's bracket returned, adjusting for both the victory and forfeited entries. A sense of normalcy finally returned to the crowd, though whispers could be heard, seemingly declaring the tournament's winner ahead of time.

"W-well... um, since the fighters of the next match have left, we'll have to move on to the one after that! Next match is Levanah Morgan and Bit Richardson!" Haley announced to the crowd. Levanah stepped up to one side of the battle field, her opponent taking the side opposite. He was a boy about her age, average build with messy, short blonde hair, wearing an open red and white jacket, teal shirt underneath and dark blue pants. The smile on his face, at the very least, meant he was still confident in his abilities, even after the previous match's display.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

Both fighters did so, Gunpla already out. Levanah's Crossbone X-7 held carefully as she looked at her opponent's Gunpla, a heavily modified, white BuCUE, head mostly replaced with something that seemed to be scratch-built, more armor reinforcing the limbs, and large claws added to the enlarged feet.

[FIELD 04: MOUNTAIN]

Both fighters grinned, Haley starting up another song, this time a song from Gundam SEED, "Zips."

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GUNPLA]

The kits were placed on their starting positions. Levanah spoke to her opponent, "You seem pretty confident. Not thinking of backing out like the other two?"

"It'll take more than some fancy tricks to scare off me and Liger!" he replied in a loud, proud voice.

[BATTLE START]

"Crossbone Gundam X-7! Launch!"

"BuCUE Liger! It's go time!"

The Crossbone's thrusters fired up, cloak fluttering. The BuCUE leaped from its starting position, running swiftly towards its opponent. The Gundam landed on a cliff, pulling out the flintlock-pistol-shaped Buster Gun with its left hand, giving it a little twirl as it looked for the approaching opponent. Finally spotting it, the Crossbone took aim and fired off several shots, but seemingly anticipating this the BuCUE dodged, firing the railguns on its back in retaliation.

The Crossbone managed to dodge, free hand gripping the Beam Zanber on its hip, dashing in the air above its opponent. What Levanah didn't see coming was the BuCUE leaping into the air to pursue her, Beam Sabers emitting from the claws, one in full swing. Thinking fast, she blocked with the Crossbone's Beam Zanber, holstering the Buster Gun in anticipation of the strike from the second set of Beam Claws. The BuCUE swung, but the Crossbone's I-field, emitted from the palm of the free hand, blocked it. She then attempted to lay down a barrage of close-range Vulcan fire, but this was cut short by a headbutt from the BuCUE's large, customized head, her Gundam's sensors momentarily dazed.

Levanah directed her Crossbone to slash upward with its Beam Zanber, breaking free from the BuCUE. Both Gunpla landed on the ground, staring each other down, slowly circling, waiting for the next move. In the blink of an eye they dashed at each other again, the custom maw of the BuCUE opening to reveal a layer of bladelike teeth. The Gundam dodged slightly, the only thing its opponent being able to grip was part of the fluttering cloak. Levanah used this to her advantage, releasing it from her Gunpla and causing the other MS to get caught up in it, giving a shout of "Ole!" as her Gundam spun around once. The claws of the Crossbone's Scissor Anchors flew out from its skirt armor, grapping the opponent's railguns and tearing them away, a Heat Dagger strengthened kick destroying them as the BuCUE toppled over in the Gundam's now vacant cloak.

Bit was disoriented, but only for a moment, quickly breaking the cloak apart. "Come on, Liger!" he roared, the Gunpla picking itself up and making another lunge, this time connecting with the Crossbone, maw biting down on one of the arms as its claws raised up again, Beam Sabers emitting from it. This time though, the Crossbone didn't attempt to block the strike, instead slashing at the limb itself, lobbing it off in a powerful strike. The crowd was pumped up, cheering over the intensity of the battle, quite a change from what it was like a few minutes ago.

"Grraaaahh!" Levanah roared, plunging the Beam Zanber into the BuCUE's body. The jaws of the Gunpla released their grip on the Crossbone's arm, Levanah pulling the Zanber out of the BuCUE, kicking the off her Gundam for good measure. Bit's Gunpla gave a small flash, an explosion following. With that moment, the announcer made the call:

[BATTLE ENDED]

Bit sighed a little, but kept smiling, walking over to get his Gunpla. Levanah walked over as well, the two congratulating each other on a fun match. "Damn, girl, that was great! You've got skill."

"You're a pretty good Gunpla Fighter yourself." The two shook hands, crowd still cheering. "Rare seeing someone using a BuCUE, but you handled it like a pro." Levanah complimented.

"What can I say? I stick with what I'm good at." he replied, looking at the damaged model. "Liger and I have been through a lot, had our fair share of losses, but we just keep coming back stronger than ever. We'll see you next time!"

Bit wandered into the crowd, a couple of his friends following. A strum of her guitar turned the crowd's attention towards Haley. After communicating with one of the organizers, she gave an announcement, "We have some downtime as we sort out the next fight, so fighters, make your necessary repairs. We will resume at 12:30!" Levanah breathed a sigh of relief, noticing Tom doing the same out of the corner of her eye, his friends gathering around him. Her own friends ran up to her, congratulating her on her win. Rin however, seemed slightly disappointed.

"I'd hoped you would have something a bit better prepared." the shorter girl said, fingers running through her red hair.

"What's wrong with my X-7?" Levanah asked defensively, frowning a little.

"It's... well, it's a good build. You've put a lot of time into it, but answer me this;" she leaned forward, adjusting her glasses, "do you believe it's really something that can get you to the Championships?"

"Aw Rinny, don't be mean." Bell poked her cheek gently.

"It's all right, Belle. I get what she's saying." Levanah sulked a little, looking at her Gunpla.

"Honestly, I was hoping you'd try something with that Crossbone Moretsu you made a while ago."

"That... I didn't really build it for battle." the taller girl blushed a little, playing with her ponytail.

"A shame, that has a good deal of potential. Still, you might want to give it a bit more... 'oomph' than what it already has." she turned her head to Raito again, glaring at him. "At least something to deal with... that. All you have at the moment is a small hodgepodge of standard Crossbone equipment."

"Hmm... I might have just the idea, Levanah." Blair finally spoke up, leading the group to a the hobby shop next door. It was crowded due to the number of people coming from the arcade, several teens and kids, and a few adults, purchasing model kits. Blair looked around, calling Levanah over when he found what he was looking for: a plethora of Bandai Hobby System Weapons. The girl whistled. "You'll probably find something here that can help out."

"Yeah... I think I will." Levanah scanned through the kits, Blair letting her be. She grabbed a couple and made a dash towards the cashier, going to work on repairs as soon as possible. She selected a couple new weapons, snap-builds for the moment, and made the necessary adjustments to her Gunpla's stats on her GP Base. Once she was satisfied with the results, she returned to the arcade, her friends waiting for her. However, before she could speak to them...

"Yo! Crossbone girl!" Haley called to her. Levanah spun around to face her. "So, since there's only three of you left, officials think this should end up a free-for-all. You think you'll be fine with a thr-" she stopped, catching herself before she said something that could be taken the wrong way, to the other girl's confusion. "Ahem, will you be ready for that?"

"I, I guess?" she responded nervously, blushing a little.

"All righty, I'll check with the other fighters then!"

"Um, a-also..." she got the guitarist's attention before she dashed off. "It... it's Levanah. Levanah Morgan." Haley stopped and looked at the girl, giving only a wink and a smile in response. The blush on her face went vibrant as she tried to figure out what it meant. Watching Haley leave, she let out a soft, somewhat happy sigh and turned back to her friends. The looks on their faces made Levanah try to hide her own. "Not. A. Single. Word." she demanded.

"No fun!~" Belle exclaimed, poking her friend's shoulder playfully.

"I won't say anything about this until after your battle's over. You've got enough to worry about." Rin promised, though the tone in which she said it didn't fill Levanah with confidence. Blair on the other hand just smiled silently, trying very hard to keep a chuckle from escaping his lips.

"Hhhrrrlgh..." Levanah groaned. She knew her friends were only teasing, but it didn't make it any less embarrassing. She took some time to calm herself down, taking a few quick gulps from her water bottle before heading back in. The other fighters were present, standing on different sides of the hexagonal Battle Field. Tom looked back and forth between them, giving each of his opponents a nod. Only Levanah returned the nod, Raito not even responding to the gesture. The crowd filtered back in as the clock ticked closer and closer to half-past noon.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Haley addressed the growing crowd. "We have a special treat for you today, the final match will be a free-for-all battle! Last fighter standing will be declared the winner!" The crowd cheered at this announcement, ready to see something aside from the usual one-on-one battles. "Fighters, are you ready?!" Levanah looked at her, nodding. Once more, a synthetic voice called to the fighters:

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam franchise. If I did, the RMSN-008 Bertigo would have at the very least gotten a High Grade kit by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Everyone Wishes for a "Finale"<strong>

* * *

><p>It's 12:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday, an arcade at a mall in New York City, and three Gunpla Fighters are about to go head-to-head in an all out match, to try and claim a chance at the American Championship. A large, excited crowd eagerly waiting for the tournament's final battle to begin, the Gunpla Battle Field stage set to a canyon at sunset. Tournament promoter and guitarist Haley Jo begins to play the first opening to Gundam 0083, "The Winner," though with the heavier guitar focus it sounded much closer to the Richie Kotzen cover. Each combatant gripped their holographic controls as they heard the call:<p>

[BATTLE START]

"Crossbone Gundam X-7! Launch!"

"Majin Zeta! Go!"

"Sinanju Deus, engage."

The Gunpla of the fighters dashed forth from their starting positions, Levanah's Crossbone meeting the Zeta Gundam belonging to Tom Davis first. The Majin Zeta was similar to the baseline Zeta design, with some notable changes. The head was that of a modified GP-02 "Physalis" with the addition of a Beam V-fin instead of the standard one, the blue on the armor colored black, vents colored the same red as the chest's cockpit. The lower arms were larger than usual, with large boosters attached. Once in range for it, one of them separated from the Zeta and darted towards the opposing Gundam. Its pilot, a boy named Tom Davis, shouting at the top of his lungs, "ROCKET PUNCH!"

Thanks to the higher maneuverability of the Crossbone's X-shaped back thrusters, it dodged almost effortlessly, unleashing a barrage of Vulcan fire at the opponent. While it did little damage to the opposing Gundam, it managed to force it back a bit, flying fist returning to the Zeta. Both Gundams circled each other, dashing back to opposing sides of the canyon, trying to size each other up. Before either fighter could make another move, they both were alerted to the sound or weapons' fire, escaping in the nick of time. They turned to face their attacker, Raito Yamato's white Sinanju Deus, two almost invisible Funnels hovering around it, its four, feathery Wing Zero Custom wings splayed open, it apparent to both fighters now that there was a highly reflective material covering parts of them. It hovered in midair, as if daring them to try and attack it.

"Smug little..." Tom grunted, planting his Zeta's feet on the ground. The Beam V-fin began to glow brighter as he shouted out "VULCAAAAN BEEEEAAAAAM!" A torrent of beams flew from the Gunpla's head towards the Sinanju. Or rather, where the Sinanju used to be, as it had not only predicted the attack, but was already closing in overhead. Levanah took her chance, lunging at Raito's Gunpla with a kick, glowing red Heat Dagger jutting out from her Crossbone's foot. But Raito seemed to predict this as well, his Sinanju dodging that almost as effortlessly, the Crossbone flying over the Zeta, landing some distance away.

"The hell does this guy think he is, some kind of Newtype?" Tom asked aloud, trying to get the Sinanju back in visual range. As if in response, the clear Funnels started firing at the Zeta, a couple lucky shots disabling an arm and leg, forcing it into the air. It was a trap, as the glimmer of another clear Funnel filled the Zeta's viewscreen. It prepared to fire... and ended up riddled with Shot pellets. Tom looked down at the Crossbone, faint smoke coming from the barrel of a shotgun peaking out from its cloak. Raito seemed confused, as if what just happened was somehow not as planned.

"I'm guessing he does." Levanah commented to Tom, her Crossbone pumping its new shotgun. Two clear Funnels could be heard darting towards it, causing the girl to smirk. One took aim, the Crossbone firing off another round. The Funnel dodged, but was still hit by some of the passing pellets. The moment she saw sparks emit from the strike, she directed her Gundam to fire its flintlock-shaped Buster Gun, this shot meeting its mark, the Funnel exploding. Raito grit his teeth, trying to use the final clear Funnel to attack the Crossbone. A bombardment of beams came from the Zeta's chest to put an end to that plan. The crowd started to cheer uproariously at the intensity of the battle.

"Heh, seems thinking you're a Newtype can only get you so far." Levanah remarked. "Thanks, by the way."

"Had to return the favor." Tom replied, grinning smugly and scratching under his nose a little.

"Enough." Raito commanded in a low voice. The four feathery wings of his Gunpla spread open, a faint glow emanating from the reflective parts. As his opponents turned to him, the glow became vibrant. Few among the crowd could even begin to understand what was happening. One young girl, a friend of Levanah's named Rin, knew exactly what was going on.

"DODGE YOU MORONS!" she jumped up and screamed. Levanah and Tom tried, Levanah's Crossbone covering as much of itself with its cloak as it could, dropping its new weapon in the process. Panels opened on the Sinanju's chest to reveal a hidden Beam Cannon, bright flash was followed by a titanic beam ripping through the battlefield. The Crossbone escaped the brunt of the attack, cloak still burning away from the force of the beam, but the Zeta lost both legs, the remaining functional arm, and a portion of its lower body.

"Grrrah, damn... sorry, partner..." Tom spoke to his Gunpla, distraught, aware that he couldn't continue the fight in this state. He made it fly towards the edge of the battlefield, grabbing it off. The crowd was awestruck, some of Tom's friends coming over to his side. Among Levanah's friends, Belle turned to the others and asked what just happened in an extremely nervous tone of voice.

"I can't..." Blair spoke in disbelief, "that was... a Satellite Cannon, but, without a moon in the sky? And how can a Sinan-"

"I warned her about this." Rin said, gritting her teeth. "This is but a fraction of what the world's best Gunpla Fighters are capable of." She looked at Raito, glaring at him upon seeing a smug grin upon his face.

Raito laughed, addressing his remaining opponent, "You might as well give up now, girl. Everything has gone just as planned. I've-"

"Like hell it has! My Crossbone Gundam isn't just for show!" Levanah roared defiantly, a spark in her eyes, gripping the controls hard and directing her Gundam to start blitzing forward. The wings of Raito's Sinanju began to glow again, viewscreen locking onto the Crossbone.

"Hmph. Persistent brat." The light became harsh as the Gundam dashed closer and closer to its opponent. Right as the Sinanju seemed to finish charging, Levanah directed her Crossbone to lob smoke grenades at the opponent, ducking down and causing the Sinanju to lose its lock. Raito tried to readjust the aim, but as the smoke began to clear the Crossbone made another dash towards it, open mouth vent giving the impression the Gundam itself was roaring. In the background, "The Winner" was about to hit its final verse.

"RRRAAAAAAAGH!" Levanah herself let out a battle cry, sweat dripping down her brow. The Crossbone's Heat Daggers stabbed into its opponent's legs, preventing them from moving, grappling the cannon in the Sinanju's chest with both hands, taking Raito by surprise. "HEAT!" Her Gunpla clamped down on the cannon as it lit up, I-Fields activating. "_END!_" The force of the I-Fields combined with the crushing grip of the Crossbone's palms forced the energy back into the cannon. Without a second to lose, Levanah had her Gundam release its grip on its opponent and dash back as quickly as possible, Raito in shock as he witnessed his Gunpla overload and explode in a dazzling flash. At long last, the announcer declared:

[BATTLE ENDED]

The crowd was awestruck, silent. Levanah breathed out a deep sigh of relief, looking up at Haley. The guitarist nodded at her, speaking, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a huge round of applause for a fantastic battle, and for the Tournament winner, Levanah Morgan!" The audience applauded, cheered, and roared, Levanah walking over to Tom, both exchanging a nod.

"That was an awesome battle." the girl said to him, offering a high-five.

"Damn right it was." he said back, accepting it. Both then turned towards Raito, who seemed oddly calm as he collected his broken Gunpla. Levanah tried to compliment his skill, but he interrupted before she could even start.

"You have won. Nothing else needs to be said." he stated in a very matter-of-fact tone, walking off, a younger girl coming up beside him, possibly his sister based on how similar they looked. The other two fighters shrugged and were pulled away by their friends, partly to congratulate them, partly to shield them from the loud, adoring crowd. Time passed, and after the two fighters gave model kit and Gunpla Battle advice to a few especially eager folks from the crowd, a sense of normalcy returned to the arcade, former audience slowly filtering out, most of them heading towards the nearby hobby store. Eventually, Haley approached the winner.

"Well, here you are, this will get you into the American championship." she flashed a card and handed it to Levanah. "It works with your GP Base, so you'll need both in order to enter. It'll be starting next Saturday, so don't be late!"

"Got it." she nodded, accepting the card. "So, um..." Levanah twirled her ponytail a little, looking away to try to hide a blush. Her friends backed up a bit, but the looks on their faces made it clear they were intent on seeing this play out, quietly giggling. "Are you... uh, up to anything else today?"

"Not 'till like, 6 tonight, another gig at that arcade." she responded. Haley then leaned forward, smiling wide. "Why you ask?"

"W-well..." she scratched the back of her neck, her voice quivering slightly. "W-would you like to get some lunch or something?"

"Sure! I'm famished." the guitarist replied, rubbing her stomach a bit.

"R-really?" Levanah's voice almost cracked, surprised at how blunt and matter-of-fact she said it.

"Why not? I could reeeeeeaally go for some tacos."

"Ah... um... s-sure!"

"Well, come on!" Haley grabbed Levanah by the arm, pulling her with as she made a dash towards the mall's food court. Levanah looked back at her friends, all three waving and smiling at her. She could swear she heard them telling her to have fun, but was out of earshot by the time she noticed. Finally finding the strength to walk on her own, she looked up at the girl holding her arm. _Just what have I gotten myself into?_ Levanah thought to herself.

The girls arrived at a taco shop in the mall's food court, Haley ordering a plate of shrimp tacos for them to share, Levanah getting them both sodas. They found a table to booth to sit at, and began some small talk.

"W-well, um... I'm still rather curious about that Extreme Gundam you have. How exactly are you controlling that thing?"

Haley grinned and patted her guitar case. "This here is the key. It's basically like, one big GP Base. All the songs are loaded into it, and the Gunpla follows along. I control it by playing each song." She then stopped to scratch the back of her head, laughing a little. "That's the easy part, though, hard part for me was actually learning all the songs. A number of them work out pretty well, but others... well, let's just say it took a lot of practice to get 'Moon's Cocoon' to sound right."

Levanah giggled a little. "I can imagine. So, you know quite a lot of the Gundam franchise, then?"

"Decent amount." the other girl nodded. "Not really as familiar with a lot of the manga or novels or other such side-stories, but I've managed to get through pretty much all the anime."

"What's your favorite, then?" the brunette girl questioned, taking a sip of her soda.

"Ah... well, it's G." the guitarist replied in a far more subdued tone, breaking eye contact. "Can kinda thank my dad for that, was... his favorite one too. He... used to have my kid brother and I watch it with him all the time." She became quiet, eyes looking down at her drink.

"S-sorry... I didn't..." Levanah apologized, realizing what the other girl's usage of the past tense meant.

"It's all right. Just... been a while since I last thought about it."

"R-right... so, um... you have other family, then?"

"Well, aside from my little bro and grandma back home in Cali, also got an uncle and cousin here in New York. Currently staying with them." she replied, voice returning to normal.

"Ah, all right. Been here long, then?" Levanah took another sip from her soda, then eating one of the tacos.

"Let's see... been about, a month now? 's about when I met the Yajima spokespeople and got this gig." Haley then crossed her fingers, leaning her chin against them. "So, how about you? I can already tell you're a local here, and I'm guessing your favorite Gundam series is Crossbone."

"Hah, right on the money." the brunette replied with a wide smile, finger twirling one of her bangs. "Lived here most of my life with my parents, save the four years my dad was in DC."

"Huh." Haley verbalized, as if trying to connect some things together in her mind. "Well, seems you have quite a few good friends too." she commented before taking a bite out of a taco, looking past Levanah to three figures sitting in the distance. Levanah turned her head, seeing her friends Belle, Blair, and Rin sitting together, attempting to look nonchalant. Levanah pouted and blushed a little, glaring at them. All three smiled at her in response, causing her to sigh and turn attention back to Haley.

"I guess you could say that. A bit... nosy sometimes, but... yeah. Good friends." she tried to hide her face, devouring the taco she took a bite out of previously.

Haley giggled, "They could just be looking out for you. Maybe they're trying to make sure a friend of theirs doesn't do something crazy, like hook up with a person she's known for less than a week."

Levanah almost choked after hearing that, her face bright pink. "W-well, maybe she's trying to get to know that person first! See if... they have any common interests..." she protested, looking away. Another giggle from Haley drew her eye contact back. She rubbed the back of her neck, asking shyly and nervously, "I-is... is it, um, really that obvious?"

"Girl, you could see it from the Colonies." the guitarist replied, laughing.

"Gah... d-damn it..." Levanah grumbled, her head hanging low in embarrassment. "S-sorry..."

"What for? Honestly, it's kinda cute how you were trying to hide it, thinking people wouldn't notice." Haley said to the younger girl, pulling the her head back up by the rim of her hat.

"C-c-cute?"

"Yup." Haley's wide smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

"D-does that mean..?"

"What do you think it means?" she giggled, poking the other girl's nose. "You DID kinda ask me out on a date already, didn't you?"

"W-well..." Levanah sunk back into her seat, awkwardly trying to finish her drink as she collected her thoughts. She looked at Haley quietly. She obviously found the other girl to be quite attractive, and so far her awkward attempts at flirting with Haley hadn't scared her off yet, not to mention their common interests. _Maybe..._ _maybe this can really work..._ she thought to herself, pulling out her cellphone.

"My my, so forward now. A little bit of confidence and you become very set on getting what you want~" Haley teased, pulling out her own phone. Both girls exchanged numbers, finally finishing their lunch.

"So um... I'll see you again some time soon?" Levanah asked, more confidence in her voice now.

"Sure thing. Just don't try to rush me into meeting your father or anything." the older girl replied jokingly.

"Too late." a man addressed the two from a short distance away. Both turned to the voice, Levanah hanging her head as Haley's jaw dropped. "Hello Miss, I'm Mike Morgan, Levanah's father." He extended his hand towards Haley, the girl clumsily shaking it, jaw still hanging open.

"Daaaaaad!" the younger girl complained, trying to push him away, causing her father to laugh. "H-how long have you been there?"

"Barely a minute. Still, congrats." he answered hid daughter, patting her on the head.

"Hurrrgh... I'm sorry about this..." Levanah turned to the speechless older girl.

"Sure you don't want me to get your mother over here, kiddo? She still has all the embara-"

"NO!" Levanah protested and shoved again. "I'll see you again, Haley!"

"R-right... see you..." she mumbled back. Levanah and her father walked off, the man apparently still teasing her. As they left, Haley vocalized her own thoughts, as if trying to make sure the idea sounded as ludicrous as it seemed; "I'm dating a former President's daughter?!"

* * *

><p>Two people walk through a crowded mall, talking with each other. One of them is the runner-up to a Gunpla Battle tournament that took place less than half an hour ago, Raito Yamato. With him was his sister, a much shorter brunette girl, 15 at the most, dressed in a plain white, buttoned shirt and kaki pants. She was frowning at him, apparently upset at his loss.<p>

"You should have been able to stop that, brother." the girl sniped, disappointment in her voice.

"I could see the particles' flow, but her reaction time was higher than expected." he defended.

"Or yours was too slow to be able to counter it effectively. Still, at this point it won't matter. What's happened has happened. You'll have to be transferred under Ariel's command."

"Hmph. Favoritism." Raito grunted.

"Oh hush." she snapped, pouting. "Still, we have Ms. Mul here in America, and Mr. Radson in England."

"Marke? Won't he have to fight Julian? Are you sure he's capable of matching someone so close to the Meijin's skill level?" Raito questioned, obviously concerned about such a matchup.

"He'll have to be. We need as many of us in the Finals as possible." his sister replied, scratching her chin.

"And what of the Champion? Do you really think we can convince Iori Sei of our cause, Meri?"

The girl became silent, lost in thought. Her face was now dead serious, eyes almost soul-piercingly focused as she looked to her brother. Finally she responded, "If we have the power to make a difference, we should put it to good use. Even he will have to understand this."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to the Gundam franchise, and most likely will not in the foreseeable future. If I did, there would be a sequel or two to MS Saga by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Don't Fear Hurting Your Pride!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Come on Crossbone, you can do this!" a brunette girl shouted, frantically moving the controls for her Gunpla. It dodged incoming fire, but only barely. Backing up past an empty building, trying to keep its profile as low as possible, it pumped its shotgun. Warnings flared up as sensors detected the opponent approaching. It spun around, trying to get a visual... and was immediately shot down by a barrage of rifle fire.<p>

[BATTLE ENDED]

"That makes eight to two." an Asian boy wearing a track suit commented, adjusting his glasses.

"I noticed, Blair! Grah... damn it..." the brunette girl, dressed in a simple navy blue shirt and white shorts, snapped at him, clearly upset over her poor performance. She hung her head and sighed.

"At this rate you'll never be ready for the American Championship, Levanah." a redheaded girl wearing a yellow sundress said in a tone of disappointment. It was 10:30 AM, a Wednesday morning. Levanah had been trying to get some practice in for the upcoming Gunpla Battle American Finals. If she wanted any chance of making it to 9th World Championship finals in Japan, she would need to hone her skills as much as she could. And the last ten battles against her old rival, Rin Ivana, made it clear to her just how much she'd need.

"I know, I know..." Levanah spoke, voice heavy with an implied admission of defeat, looking at her Crossbone Gundam X-7. Even with Rin going for minimal damage, it was already suffering from some wear and tear. She then looked over at her opponent's Gunpla, a customized Airmaster, colors painted off-white, somewhat vanilla shade, much of the original red on it gone, with what was left being far more vibrant and bright. Its head was replaced with a Jegan's, painted a matching color, visor changed to a strikingly vivid green. This was especially noticeable because any damage on it was superficial at best.

"If you keep this up you'll never be able to face me in Japan." Rin remarked, taking her glasses off and cleaning them.

"Wait..." Levanah looked up, finding the comment odd. "I thought you were going to be in the American Championships?"

Rin grinned, putting her glasses back on. "I guess I didn't explain properly then. By the end of today, I'll be Yajima's representative for the 9th Gunpla Battle World Championship."

"..._what?!_" the taller girl exclaimed. "When did this happen?!"

"I haven't heard anything of this either. As far as I know, Dr. Neilson is still supposed to be their representative." Blair said, suspicious of Rin's claim.

"My qualifier, Blair. Currently, he still is." Rin's grin grew devilish. "But he won't be for long."

"...you're kidding. Rin, look, you're good and all but... Nils Neilson?" Levanah questioned, getting her Crossbone from the Battle Field. The question caused the shorter girl to laugh almost maniacally, as if she expected it, word-for-word.

"Haahaha, oh I'm more than ready. In fact, you should come along, it'd be a good learning experience for you." she answered, her voice noticeably smug and haughty. "You too, Blair."

"Hmnh. Almost wish I could, but I've got other plans. Plus Belle's invited me over to play some videogames."

"Hot date, huh?" Levanah teased.

"Har har. Speaking of, what about you? Don't you have any plans with Haley? You seemed very invested in a text conversation before Rin got here." Blair inquired.

Levanah blushed a little, smiling. "Well, not today... she's actually gonna be over at my house for a while tomorrow, we'll be working on some Gunpla together. She had some ideas on adding new 'band members.'" she said, fingers making air quotes.

"...'band members.'" Blair repeated, mimicking her air quotes, trying to guess as to what that entailed.

"Her words, not mine." Levanah said with a chuckle.

"...right then. Anyway, I should probably get going." the Asian boy commented, shrugging as he began walking off, deciding that he'd find out what a "Gunpla Band" would look like sooner or later, waving to his friends and walking off, both girls waving back to him.

Rin turned to Levanah, her elbow nudging the taller girl's arm. "So, it's right at noon that we've got it scheduled. You better be there, if you want even a chance of making it to Japan."

"I'll let dad know. He'll probably get a kick out of it as well." Levanah replied, taking out her cellphone.

"...no comeback? You're getting soft." Rin noted as she placed both hands behind her head.

"Is that what you think?" she said with a smirk. "Well, it's not every day a girl gets to see her old rival get her ass handed to her by one of the world's best Gunpla Fighters. Gonna need some witnesses."

"There's the Levanah I know!" she made a gentle jab at the other girl's shoulder, both of them laughing.

* * *

><p>11:40, Yajima Holdings' New York Office. A somewhat unassuming building with a view of Harlem River. Levanah and her father are directed towards an elevator, taking them up a couple stories, and then towards a large room. Inside is a Gunpla Battle Terminal connected to several monitors, computers, and a plethora of other expensive-looking equipment. Standing on one side is Rin, and the moment her friend laid eyes on her she nearly bursts out laughing.<p>

"Oh wow... wow, Rin, what are you... are you _cosplaying_?" the taller girl exclaimed, pointing to her.

"Shut it, _Kaizoku_." the redhead snapped. The accusation was true, though. A black headband, large, golden orb earrings, pink shirt with a white trim and a stripe of yellow across the chest, pink leggings leading into tall, light-grey boots that matched her gloves. She even had a pair of oversized black and gold pauldrons leading into a black cape, interior a shade of grey. A pair of highly decorated belts completed the image, the only noticeable deviation in the "character" of the getup being the girl's red-framed glasses. Levanah's laughing slowly faded, Rin glaring at her with a look that could frighten dragons.

"No rampaging monsters you have to take down? No glittering treasure you have to claim? I guess that just leaves an enemy rising to face you." the brunette teased, still chuckling softly.

"Laugh and joke all you want, but victory _will_ be mine." she declared, a smug, confident grin on her face.

"Well now I _have_ to see what you did for your Gunpla."

"You'll see soon enough." Rin said, running her fingers through her hair. As if on cue, the door opened again, four figures walking in, two adults and two teenagers. The couple of men were dressed in a simple white lab coats, thick, black-rimmed glasses on their faces, notepad in the hands of one. One of the teens, a blonde girl with her hair up in drill-like curls, wore a stylish orange, white, and black dress, heeled boots matching it, and black gloves. One Caroline Yajima, her arms around one of the other teen's. An African-American boy with very dark, brownish-black dreadlocks, wearing an open lab coat over a very formal black and white suit, red tie pulling the look together. Dr. Nils Neilson, the "Early Genius," though some would know him as "Samurai Boy."

"Rin Ivana, long time no see." Nils spoke to her politely.

"If you think a week is a long time, sure, Professor Nils Neilson. Well, I guess I can drop the formality here... Nils." she said, looking over at Caroline. "And what's this, can't battle without your girlfriend here for support?"

"Fiancé." Caroline piped up with a haughty giggle, causing Nils to sigh.

"Fiancé, huh? Kids these days..." Mike commented, causing everyone's attention to turn to him, the newly arrived group of people gawking.

"...Rin, would you mind explaining?" the boy questioned.

"Huh? Oh, Nils and company, my friend and old rival, Levanah, and her father, Mike Morgan. Levanah here is in the American Championships starting up Saturday. I invited her in order to demonstrate just what the best Gunpla Fighters are capable of." the redhead replied in a very casual, matter of fact tone, as if it were nothing especially notable.

"I... see." Nils muttered, still looking at the somewhat imposing figure. To him it seemed almost surreal, seeing a former US President and his daughter here in such a casual manner.

"Pleasure to meet you, kiddo." Mike offered his hand to Nils, the boy shaking it. He then did the same for the other two men. He offered an apology to Caroline for greeting her last, the girl clumsily shaking his hand, trying not to gawk at the man.

"Let's get this started, shall we?" Rin asked, a slightly impatient look on her face. She obviously had something to prove.

"Of course, but remember that this isn't just for the sake of a Gunpla Battle..." Nils smiled, taking out his Gunpla. Similar to his Segoku Astray, it had reinforced armor plates, additional skirt armor that seemed similar to the shoulder armor, and a plethora more weapons.

"Both a demonstration of programming skill and testing the limits of Plavsky Particles..." Rin smirked devilishly, eyes aflame with anticipation. "Perfect excuse for the debut of my G-Sorceress Gundam!" The girl placed her Gunpla down for all to see, Levanah noticeably forcing herself from laughing after looking at its appearance. The head and arms taken from the G-Arcane, hands with some sort of detail similar to the Destiny's "Palma Fiocinas," the torso a somewhat slimmed down version of the Rising Gundam's. Skirt armor and upper legs modified slightly from Nobel Gundam's, lower legs unlike the other parts in that they originated from the Tallgeese. Contrasting the rest of its somewhat slender appearance were its large shoulder armor pauldrons, matching those of its builder, a cape that seemed to be made of black nylon flowing from them, obscuring its lack of a backpack. Its colors matched Rin's outfit closely, and unusually, there were small crystals embedded in the wrists and chest instead of more plastic. Those crystals caught the attention of Nils.

"I'm still not convinced of that theory of yours, Rin. My research on hasn't shown Plavksy Particles reacting with 'normal' gemstones in any consistent manner, much less a useful one." the boy shrugged.

"It's still too limited to make such blanket statements. After all, that's what experimentation is for, isn't it?" Rin replied, moving her glasses closer to her face. "Right now, they may just be decoration, but by this battle's end, they could be a real game-changer."

Levanah looked to her father, whispering, "Dad, are you understanding any of this?"

"Rin thinks she can harness space magic particles with crystals, the boy thinks she's crazy." he whispered back jokingly.

"Methinks she's taking the cosplay a bit too far..." the girl snarked, hands on the back of her neck. "Guess it can't be helped at this point. Might as well let the crazy fangirl have her fun."

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

Both Fighters stepped up to the Battle Field, GP Bases set. The two scientists walked to some of the equipment, one starting up a program on one of the computers.

[BEGINNING PLAVSKY PARTICLE DISPERSAL]

Caroline walked over to a seat near Nils' side, Levanah and her father standing by Rin's as they watched the bluish glow of Plavsky Particles fill the Battle Field.

[FIELD 03: FOREST]

A cherry blossom forest appeared on the Battle Field. Nils and Rin both had eager smiles on their faces.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GUNPLA]

The modified Sengoku Astray was placed on Nils' side, the boy gripping the control holograms. Rin seemed to whisper "good luck" to her Gunpla before placing it down, smiling at it like a mother smiling at her newborn daughter.

[BATTLE START]

"Sengoku Astray Asura! Launch!"

"G-Sorceress Gundam, let's show them what we can do!"

Both Gunpla dashed out of their starting positions, Rin's making a flip in the air and landing at an opening in the forest, standing up and crossing its arms, cape fluttered slightly. Nils' came to the ground a short distance away, axe and hammer in its hands, a spear and club held in the shoulder armor next to the katanas, skirt armor seemingly holding a rifle and trident. The large number of armaments on the Sengoku Astray Asura contrasted the noticeable lack of them on the G-Sorceress, only a stylized beam saber present on the one of the pieces of hip armor. But such appearances are always deceiving, Nils keeping his guard up in anticipation of this.

"Don't think you'll impress me with simple tricks, Rin." the boy warned, eyes keeping track of the opponent's every movement.

"Hah, there's nothing 'simple' about this!" the girl boasted, directing one of her Gunpla's arms up, palm splayed open. "Frost Strike!" A bluish-white jolt of energy flew from the open palm, Nils almost instinctively having his Astray block it with the hammer. When it connected, however, the tiny jolt expanded into a massive shard of ice, the sudden increase in mass causing Nils' Gundam to stumble slightly. He stared for a moment, then slammed the hammer on the ground, breaking the ice off. The two Gunpla began to circle each other, both on their guard.

"I'm guessing that was just a demonstration, right? Showing off for the audience." Nils questioned, giving a quick look towards the three spectators before turning it back to the Battle Field, ready to strike the moment his opponent made a move. "But I'd rather you take this seriously, Rin."

"Hey, she deserves to stretch her limbs a bit." Rin replied, sticking out her tongue as she made a point of showing off the G-Sorceress' mobility, jabbing at the air, flexing and stretching the arms and legs, side-stepping a bit while still keeping her distance. But in an instant, the Gunpla's hand splayed open again, Rin shouting another command, "Gaia Brand!" Another jolt of energy flew out, a yellowish tint to it. Unlike the previous one, it wasn't aimed at the opponent, but rather, the ground it was standing on. The Astray dashed back swiftly, but not swiftly enough, the ground erupting in an explosion that knocked the hammer out of its hands and a noticeable portion of the forest. One of the pieces of shoulder armor folded out, giving its spear to the now empty hand and grabbing the blade resting slightly above it.

"I expected better." Nils mumbled under his breath, directing his Astray to dash forward, intending to meet the opponent. The shoulder-armor arm slashed at the air, a blue crescent launched from it. Rin's Gunpla grabbed its cape, covering it in response. The crescent collided and dispersed, the G-Sorceress standing its ground. As the distance between the two grew smaller and smaller, both fighters let out a battle cry. Each active limb of the Astray made a flurry of strikes towards its opponent. A bright flash occurred. None connected. The audience of three seemed confused as the Astray stopped in front of the G-Sorceress. Nils, however, was shocked, trying to get his Gunpla to move as Rin's dashed backwards. Control returned after a few seconds, the Astray getting some distance again.

"Seems I wasn't the only one holding back, Nils Neilson." the girl said with a haughty tone.

"I didn't expect you to have gotten that skilled at using the Particle Fa Jin." he responded, eyes now full of determination. "A mistake I won't make again." The Astray pointed its blade towards its opponent.

"Then let's kick things up a notch!" Rin shouted, G-Sorceress grabbing and activating its beam saber, the blade glowing a lively bright blue. It dashed at its opponent, Nils having his Astray blitz forward in response. Once in range, the two Gunpla began slashing, stab, thrust, and strike at each other. They moved like flowing water, the Astray now utilizing four "limbs" parrying and dodging with them in a manner as almost elegant as it was ferocious. In spite of being outnumbered in armaments, the G-Sorceress was skillfully dodging and parrying each strike, not giving an inch of ground to its opponent, cape being utilized as a sort of shield, blocking the few strikes that its blade couldn't. To the onlookers it was apparent now that there were tiny, flat blocks of plastic kept in place under the nylon fabric.

Levanah watched the battle with a bit of awe. In spite of appearances, it crystal clear to her just how serious Rin was about this battle, as if she had something more on the line than just the prize at the end. Victory was secondary to proving the capabilities, the "worthiness" of her Gunpla, as something that could stand on equal ground among legends. And in addition to all that, there was another layer to it all, plain as day from the look on the ginger girl's face; this battle was _fun_ to her. Exhilarating. If there was even a hint of fear at losing, at getting the Gunpla she worked so hard on damaged beyond repair, she was completely ignoring it. For a good half a minute, the two kept trading blows, neither one backing down, both managing to take no more than superficial damage.

* * *

><p><em>Well, they're certainly taking their sweet time...<em>a man in a lab coat thought silently, eyes fixed on a computer screen. A rumble of his cellphone broke his focus. Carefully, he pulled it from his lab coat, making sure no one was watching. To his relief they were still focused on the fight. He glanced down at it, a single sentence of text on the screen:

[You're running out of time, hurry up.]

He sighed silently, sending a reply:

[Too conspicuous. Would need a distraction at this point.]

_That girl can be so pushy sometimes._ He went back to the computer screen, discretely sliding the phone back into his pocket. Another rumble alerted him to another message. He didn't expect a reply so soon. He gave another glance, eyes going wide when he saw what it said:

[You'll get one.]

* * *

><p>In the blink of an eye, Rin seemed to glance a moment of opportunity, and took it. "Fireball!" she shouted, a bright orange sphere jetting out of her Gunpla's palm. Nils managed to block it, but the force of the impact knocked away his Astray's spear. Both fighters backed up their Gunpla again, taking a breather. Rin looked at Levanah, smirking a bit and giving a nod. Nils gave a glance towards Caroline, the girl's face displaying a bit of annoyance, the boy forcing a smile in return. Both fighters turned their attention back to the Battle Field.<p>

"It's impressive you've improved this much, Rin. However..." the shield on the Astray's back seemed to open, a faint glow surrounding it. "...it's not enough."

"Spare me, this battle's far from over. Prepare y-" Rin was interrupted by a barrage of warnings. The warnings popped up on Nils' side as well, the frantic beeping momentarily breaking their train of thought. A flurry of beams sprayed towards them, tearing up much of the forest in the process, the fighters managing to avoid them with minimal damage. They looked towards their attackers, at least two dozen bluish-grey, dragon-shaped Mobile Suits, among their number some black variants, bulkier green ones, and conspicuously a few Core Fighters flying among their ranks. Levanah, Mike, and Caroline had all stood up and taken a step or two closer to the Battle Field, wondering what was going on.

"Vagan Mobile Suits? The hell is going on?" the brunette girl asked.

"Nils if this is your idea of a joke..." Rin growled, gritting her teeth.

"They attacked me too!" the boy protested. Warnings flared up again, both fighters having more time to react for this onslaught. They seemed to be in the clear, but they noticed at the end of it two gigantic beams launching at them from an object somewhat behind the fleet of Mobile Suits. The beams were a distinctive mix of red and blue in color. As they all looked up, they saw a titanic form, a ship appropriately scaled for all of the combatants.

"It can't be..." Levanah said in disbelief. "The Archangel?!"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the Gundam franchise. If I did, the Gihren's Ambition series would have been localized by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Change Idle Days to Glorious Ones<strong>

* * *

><p>"Seems we will have to postpone this battle, Rin." Nils Neilson said with a sigh, moving his holographic controls slightly, selecting an option that read "Abort Battle." The redhead he was speaking to frowned, but seemed to understand what he meant, looking at the Gunpla Battle Field now swarmed with Vagan Mobile Suits, the looming, menacing figure of the appropriately scaled Archangel hovering slightly above them. Nils tapped the button.<p>

[BATTLE ABORR-T-t-tteeeeeee ABORT CANCELED]

Nils' eyes went wide. He tapped the button again. The same broken response. The spectators of the battle looked at him, confusion and worry on their faces. Levanah reached her hand into the hologram, trying to interrupt it manually. Again, the same broken response. The brunette looked at the redhead, as if she would have some solution to this situation. The sound of weapons firing again caused both combatants to swerve their Gunpla out of the way, a couple of the stray beams striking the hand of the older girl.

"YEAGH! OW!" Levanah recoiled, pulling her hand from the hologram. The pain wasn't excruciating, barely more painful than a few small sparks flung at a person from a campfire, but fact that it was there was made it feel worse than it really was. She looked at her hand, tiny red marks from where the beams hit. Her father looked at it as well, the girl reassuring that she was mostly fine. "Yegh... well, can't... can't say I was expecting that."

"Yes, it was almost like leaving your hand in the middle of an active battle with Unknown Enemies is a bad idea." Rin remarked critically, still avoiding the opposing force's weapons' fire. Levanah glared at her for it, but said nothing in return, the girl's father turning his attention to the two scientists, asking if they could do something. This situation seemed like it was getting more and more bizarre by the minute. The cannons on the Archangel fired again, Nils countering them wit a slash from his Astray's blades, Rin having her Gunpla cover him, managing to take out a group of the Vagan Mobile Suits in the process.

Caroline finally spoke up, her voice filled with something between rage and contempt, directed towards the interrupting party, "I don't know WHO you people think you are, but I will not tolerate this any longer." She slammed her GP Base down on the side next to Nils, gritting her teeth, placing her Knight Gundam on the launch position. "Nobody interrupts MY fiancé's battles and tries to make a fool of him!" Nils looked at her, the expression on his face a balance of appreciation and fear, with a hint of embarrassment. "Caroline Yajima, Knight Gundam, launch!" The small Gundam burst from its starting position, dashing into battle, making its entrance known by planting its sword in the back of a Gafran, a slice cleaving it in two. She then directed it down towards Nils' Astray, the boy trying to hide a smile.

"Lovebirds, above you!" Rin shouted, drawing their attention to two bukly, vaguely dragon-shaped figures closing in fast, a pair of Baqtos. The skirt armor on Nils' Gunpla unfolded into two extra limbs, a rifle gripped tight by one of them. A series of slashes and barrage of rifle fire made short work of one of the Baqtos, Caroline opting to simply dash up and decapitate the other, kicking it to the ground, a wide, smug grin across her face as it exploded.

"Well, the good news is that they don't exactly have skilled pilots." the boy commented, spear piercing a Gafran while the rifle fires at another trying to sneak up behind him. "Nor well-built."

"They're snap-built grunts, and a significant portion seem to be remotely controlled." Rin noted, a fireball engulfing a few of her opponents, causing them to crash into each other and detonate. "My guess..." she turned her Gunpla's head up, facing the looming Archangel, "is that whoever is controlling them has set up shop on that ship." She smirked devilishly, mind coming up with a plan as she addressed her friend, "Levanah, think you can cover me? I've got an... idea... on how to stop it. Heh heh heh, guess it'll live up to its name after all..."

"...'Live up to its-' ...Rin, you didn't." the brunette responded accusingly.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Ugh. You crazy fangirl..."

* * *

><p>[That's one hell of a distraction.]<p>

A somewhat tall, slender girl, no more than 16 years old, looks down at her cellphone, a subdued smile on her face. She then places it in her pocket and turns her attention back to a pair of holographic controls. The girl has long, carefully brushed black hair, eyes a brownish hazel color. She is dressed in what looks like a proper military uniform, though not one not associated with any nation or even recognizable paramilitary group. A very formal black and dark teal, red highlights contrasting the darker colors. From the pins on her collar, it was apparent that she had a high rank.

"Captain, we've lost most of Squad 3, Squad 4 taking heavy losses." piped up a man dressed in a uniform matching the girl's, though lacking the extra decorations on his collar. He was sitting at a specialized desk, a miniature Gunpla Battle Terminal in front of him, several of the Vagan MS on it, several screens surrounding them. Five other individuals were seated close to him, all dressed the same, same terminals and Gunpla

"Continue to hold them off as long as you can. Our purpose here is to provide a distraction, so keep them away from the ship as long as you can." she commanded, looking down at a model in front of her. It was massive, nearly 3 meters in length, sitting on a specialized terminal.

"Squad 2 has engaged the Astray and Knight Gundams, keeping to long range fire for as long as possible."

"Put pressure on the other Gundam, we'll need to-" the girl was interrupted by a door opening, walking in a young man with brown hair, dressed like the others. "Ah, Raito Yamato, just in time."

"Captain." he saluted her, his a hint of disappointment present. "What is the current situation?"

"We're a distraction." the girl said with a smile. Raito did not appreciate the reply, letting out a sigh. "We have a few extra terminals, I assume you have your Gunpla prepared already?"

"Affirmative." he replied, showing his new Gunpla to her; a heavily modified Deathscythe, wings being black-painted, modified versions of the Wing Zero Custom's feathery appendages. "Is there something you wish for me to handle? I see that you're facing some-"

"Captain, another Gundam has entered the field. It appears to be a Crossbone... seems it already has minor damage to it?"

Raito's attention turned to the screen displaying the battle for the girl, eyes wide, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. "_Her_..." he muttered silently, looking in the direction of the captain. "I request that I be allowed to engage these fighters directly, Captain."

"Directly? Why would..." the girl stopped herself, thinking. _This could play towards our advantage_. She noticed Raito's change in attitude. _If they focus on him, our true objective can be obscured further..._ She smiled a confident, knowing smile. "You have my permission."

"I thank you, Captain." Raito moved to an open terminal, placing his Gunpla down on it. Lights flickered, holograms appearing around it. He grinned. "Deathscythe Shinigami, engage."

* * *

><p>"Dagger! INAZUMA! <em>KIIIIIIIICK!<em>" Levanah shouted, her Crossbone X-7 plunging its Heat Dagger into the chest of a Gafran, a second kick forcing the blade to bisect it. The Gundam then dashed backwards, locking onto a another with its Bustergun, a beam piercing it and causing it to explode. Two more were locked onto, the Gunpla's shotgun making quick work of them.

"Levanah I said cover me!" Rin shouted, dodging out of the way of incoming fire.

"All right, all right already, get off my case!" she replied angrily, dashing to the other girl's aid. Standing in front of the G-Sorceress, Levanah had her Crossbone splay its hands open. A barrage of fire from the Vagan Mobile Suits was nullified completely by the Crossbone's I-Fields. Confused for a moment, they became easy prey to Nils and Caroline.

"Finally." Rin said with exasperation. "Now, just keep them off my-" she stopped, hearing the faint sound of a trio of Funnels approaching from behind. "Oh HELL no, Ray Barrier!" Green shards of light flew from the G-Sorceress' hands, suddenly expanding and surrounding the Gundam in a swirling sphere. Just in time, as the Funnels opened fire on the Gunpla, none of the shots making it through, much to Rin's relief. "Thought so, asshole!"

Levanah looked at the Funnels, finding them familiar. _Where have I seen those bef- oh no_. A warning flashed. In the nick of time, she spun her Crossbone around, I-fields blocking a ferocious swing from a Beam Scythe. A Deathscythe, colors darker than the base, bat-like shield-wings replaced with the Wing Zero's, was looming over the Crossbone, red eyes glaring menacingly at its opponent. "Grah! Well, looks like we found the leader of the group." Levanah commented, shoving the opponent away with the I-Fields.

"YOU!" Caroline shouted, her Knight Gundam dashing towards it. "You interrupt my Nils' battle and think you can get away with it?! I will _end_ you!" She made an upward slash, but the Deathscythe seemed to predict it. The slash barely missed Levanah's Crossbone, Caroline trailing after without even noticing. The Deathscythe swung at the Knight Gundam, blade hitting its shield. The girl tried to stab at her opponent, only to be stopped by a Funnel firing down at it, snapping the Knight Gundam's sword in two. Caroline paused for a second, more than enough time for the Deathscythe to kick it to the ground.

"Caroline!" Nils shouted, rushing to the smaller Gunpla's aid. The rest of the Knight Gundam was undamaged, though it was now clear that this opponent would not go down as easily. Nils stayed back, attempting to locate the Funnels within the chaos and cacophony of the battle. Finding a pair, he slashed at them, crescent beams launched from his Astray's katanas, rifle taking down another Vagan Mobile Suit. One of the Funnels managed to evade, rushing straight towards the boy's Gunpla... and right into shotgun fire.

"Can't be careless with this guy." Levanah commented, eyeing the Deathscythe, her guard still up.

"That much is apparent." Nils responded, firing on another Vagan Gunpla. "I believe we need to formulate a better strategy here."

"We'll just keep Rin in the clear, she seems to have a trump card." the brunette said, her Crossbone dashing back to cover the G-Sorceress. "I suspect that it's me that the Deathscythe wants."

"What makes you so sure?" the boy asked, engaging another group of Gafrans, Caroline's Knight Gundam watching his back.

"Well, I-" she was interrupted by another ferocious attack, barely managing to reactivate the Crossbone's I-Fields in time. "-had a... hunch!" Her Gundam kicked at its opponent, barely missing.

* * *

><p>"Hmnph. You won't get claim victory this time, girl." Raito spoke quietly to himself, "You will know humiliation and-" he stopped, sensing a massive flow of Plavsky Particles.<p>

"Gigantic energy buildup, Captain! It's coming from the ginger girl's Gunpla!"

"Focus attention on it, distract it as much as you can."

"Forces down to half strength, and dropping!"

_What is... this pressure?_ the young man thought, feeling the flow getting stronger and stronger, as if it were a small maelstrom of Plavsky Particles forming.

["_These hands of ours glow Crimson Red!_"] could be heard through the speakers on each terminal, the G-Sorceress' hands indeed beginning to glow a deep, haunting, crimson red color, a small, equally red sphere of energy forming between them, the gems on the Gundam glowing a faint yellow. All personnel at the terminals turned their attention towards it.

"Someone, stop that Gundam!" the Captain shouted.

"Danazines on intercept course!"

* * *

><p>Huge, dragon-shaped Mobile Suits descended upon the G-Sorceress. Weapons ready, the faint growl of their engines brought them closer and closer, acquiring a lock on the Gundam.<p>

"_Their bloodcurdling scream calls for us to conquer our foes!_"

Levanah's Crossbone burst forth to intercept them, breaking the lock, Zanbuster, shotgun, and Vulcans firing relentlessly at them. The Deathscythe followed its opponent, making another swing with its weapon. This one connected, digging into the back of the Crossbone's thigh. A push cleaved the leg from the rest of the body, Levanah's Gunpla spinning around to try and counter, cloak protecting it from another strike, but burning away in the process.

"_Let the fools who stand before us fall before our power!_"

Another slash dug into the Crossbone's shoulder, separating the arm from the rest of the body. Levanah gritted her teeth, but then grinned. She looked at the Danazines, then the Archangel, then at the Deathscythe. Before her opponent could issue another strike, she grappled it, remaining leg jetting out its Heat Dagger, stabbing into its opponent's foot, preventing it from dodging the next blow. The girl gave a chuckle, then said plainly, "We win."

"THIS IS IT! DRAGON SLAYER... _TENKYOUKEN!_"

At the moment Rin said that, the small, red sphere in the G-Sorceress' hands transformed into a massive, chaotic one. It launched, a low howl coming from it, right at the Deathscythe and Crossbone. Levanah released her grip on the controls, muttering under her breath, "Later, partner." The massive sphere claimed both Gundams, destroying them almost instantly... and kept going, eradicating the remaining Danazines, then a few straggler Gafrans, and finally coming into contact with the Archangel. It dug through the ship, tearing it apart before finally exploding, the sheer force of it causing the holograms to flicker.

[BATTLE ENDED]

All four fighters let out a sigh of relief, glad that the ordeal was finally over. Levanah looked at what was left of her Crossbone, highly damaged parts of the head, chest, and a couple limbs. Rin rubbed the back of her head, looking at it as well, trying to not make eye contact.

"You had a good run, partner..." the older girl said quietly, somewhat distraught

"Um, uh..." Rin tried to speak up, Levanah's attention turning to her. "Sorry... well, um... guess I overdid it?" She took off her glasses, cleaning them, still looking away from her friend.

"A bit." the brunette said with a chuckle. She collected her Gunpla's pieces, the other three doing the same. "Guess I'll have to do more than just repairs in the next couple days..."

"Well... was this a helpful learning experience, at least?" the redhead forced a wide, nervous smile.

Levanah laughed, nodding. "I guess... I guess so."

"Ahem." Nils interrupted.

"Ah, right..." the redhead walked towards him. "So, when should we reschedule our battle?"

"That will not be necessary." the boy said plainly, causing Rin to become confused, Caroline looking at him with confusion and worry in her eyes. He continued, "In my opinion, you have proven that you are capable enough to represent Yajima in the World Tournament."

"You're giving up?" she exclaimed, her voice full of disappointment. "But, what about..." Rin stopped for a moment, thinking. "You're going to pursue those... 'Unknown Enemies,' aren't you?"

Nils' response was a smile, causing his opponent to frown. "You will most certainly be able to test the limits of the Plavsky Particles." He looked to the blonde girl, "Is this agreeable, Caroline?"

"I suppose." she replied with a shrug. "But don't think you're going to be chasing after a bunch of crooks and hackers all by yourself, darling~" The girl wrapped both of her arms around one of Nils', the boy freezing up. She seemed to be waiting for a response, an awkward half a minute of silence passing. The girl leaned closer and forced a smile, glaring at him with a look that could cause a person to die from fright, asking, "_Right. Darling?_"

"Yes'm." he said quickly, gulping, body shaking.

"Good~" the blonde girl's forced smile became genuine as she nuzzled Nils' cheek. The other two girls watched the scene quietly, Rin placing her glasses back on her face. Levanah's father walked over, speaking up.

"Well, those two over there seem to have found what was causing the interference, but I guess you kids already took care of it."

"Do they have any idea what that group was after?" Nils questioned. Levanah looked at the boy, as if to answer, but her father spoke up before she could say a word.

"They both detected something recording data from the battle, no idea on how they got in, but seems obvious they were after information on the Plavsky Particles." the man said, scratching his chin in thought. "Though doesn't make much sense to me, you know? Why interrupt a fight like that?"

"You believe there's another motive, then. A distraction?" the boy inquired.

"Bingo." Mike nodded. "Lucky you managed to drag Levanah along, Rin."

"Guess so..." she said with a bit of regret in her voice. "Say, you could have helped out too!"

"Left my GP Base at home, didn't think I'd need it." the man answered with a laugh. Nils and Caroline looked at him with blank expressions, even the two scientists seemed to make a double-take at his comment.

"Hrnhf. Whatever..." Rin grunted dismissively, looking down at her Gunpla, a sweet smile across her face as she moved its limbs slightly with her fingers. Nils seemed to notice something and approached her.

"Rin, may I see that for a moment?" he asked politely.

"Huh? Why do-" she looked at her G-Sorceress again, noticing that the chest crystal had changed color, from a ruby-red to a somewhat deep, teal-blue. Her eyes widened, free hand moving up to rub them, thumb holding her glasses up. "You think... you think this could be...?"

The boy nodded. "It's worth investigating. Please, if nothing else, just that crystal." he requested.

"...I guess. But you'll owe me a new one if you break it." she grumbled, sticking her tongue out.

"Of course, of course. I promise to update you on any progress."

* * *

><p><em>Well, that was a close one<em>... a man in a white lab coat thought to himself, walking away from the scene of his "crime." _Just in the nick of time too_. He pulled out a small object from his coat's pocket, a flash drive, and looked at it, smiling. _If we have the power to make a difference..._ His phone rumbled, another text.

[Mission successful?]

[Affirmative.]

[That's a relief... now if only I could get Raito to stop shouting, haha.]

[My condolences.]

He smiled, knowing she would get a laugh out of that. He looked down at the flash drive again. _The power to change the world... Yajima's squandered it, as things stand. But a bit of competition will do them some good. It's only a matter of time, now..._.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I still most certainly do not own the rights to the Gundam franchise, or any other franchise vaguely/overtly mentioned within this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Enamels of Acrylics? Maybe<strong> **Lacquers...**

* * *

><p>"Levanah, wake up already!" a woman's voice shouted down a hallway. Thursday morning, 8:46 AM. A girl grumbled, struggling to kick off the covers on her bed. She rubbed her eyes, looking over to her desk. The remains of her Crossbone Gundam X-7 were sitting on a tray. She sighed, knowing she'd have a lot of work to do to get it back in shape.<p>

"Kiddo, your mother's leaving for work, the least you could do is say goodbye!" the girl's father called loudly.

"Awll raaaiiigghtt... sheeeshhh..." Levanah moaned, slouching and dragging her feet as she slowly walked to her bedroom door, turning her head to the opposite side of the room, a large glass pet tank, though no sign of the pet inside. "Mengh... you have the right idea, Amanda. Sleep in some more... yyyaaaaahhn... wake up when you feel like it." she mumbled.

"Breakfast is ready, by the way!"

"Ngh?" the girl finally noticed the scent of freshly made waffles in the air. That was the trigger she needed to change her attitude. She ran out of her room, still in her white sleep shirt and navy blue sleep pants, dashing into the kitchen. Before her parents even noticed she was there, she had already hugged her mother and planted herself down at the kitchen table, swiftly at work pouring syrup on her waffles.

"Told you that'd work." the woman, dressed in her pilot uniform, said with a laugh, elbowing her husband in the arm.

"Levanah." Mike said in a low tone. He wore a simple white shirt and blue jeans, contrasting his more formally dressed wife.

"Lweytur mahm." she mumbled, her mouth full of food.

Her father sighed. "You have a good day at work, Jodi." he said to his wife, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Couple of days; flights to Vegas, Honolulu, then Denver before I get back home." she replied, gathering a few bags.

"Ah, shame."

"Oh I knooooow. No chance to properly embarrass my daughter in front of her girlfriend." Jodi giggled, causing Levanah to choke a little as she tried to down some milk. The girl gave a look halfway between an angry glare and a worried frown, her mother chuckling.

"You take care, darling." Mike said, hugging and kissing his wife.

"It's only flying a jet-powered, hundred foot metal tube with wings on it, carrying about six-hundred passengers close to the speed of sound. Absolutely nothing to worry about." Jodi responded playfully, kissing her husband back. "You take care too. And you too, Levanah!"

"I'll try." she let out before chomping down on another bite of her waffle. The girl watched her mother leave out of the corner of her eye, quickly finishing the food on her plate.

"When did Haley say she was coming over, again?" Mike questioned, taking the empty plate from his daughter.

"10:30-ish. Might be a bit late, she said." Levanah got up, stretching. "Guess I'll have to tidy up my room a bit before that.."

"Could have started last night." the girl's father commented.

"Mnnrrgh... was too tired after, well, yesterday." she replied, thinking back to those events. It all seemed like a blur now, the mysterious battle interruption, fighting alongside Nils Neilson, sacrificing her Crossbone to ensure Rin could finish the battle... and yet, it happened. She walked slowly through her house's hallway, still stretching her arms and legs. Entering her room, she closed the door behind her. Looking at the glass tank again, the pet inside was still quiet, barely noticing its owner inside. "Still sleeping in, Amanda? Guess I can't blame ya, not like you have a lot going on today..."

* * *

><p>10:30 came and went. Levanah, now changed from her sleep clothes to a somewhat sky blue tanktop, light white shirt underneath that seemed to be about the same age, and black shorts, looked at her phone. Her hair was done up in a ponytail again, though lacking her hat this time around; no need for it since she was staying at home most of the day. Haley had already sent a message saying she'd be late, hinting that she'd gotten something for Levanah to make up for it. Mike was in another room, almost done talking with someone. She made sure her desk was clear, ventilated spray booth set up and window open, laptop moved to make room, shelves to the side of her room displaying a number of her completed kits. At the foot end of her bed was a TV, next to her desk. She was just finishing putting away a number of consoles neatly, games all stored as well. Her cellphone gave a beep; a new text from Haley.<p>

[Be there in 5! Uncle found the route to your house, finally. :P ]

Levanah smiled, letting out a quick sigh of relief. She walked out of her room, noticing that her father apparently done with his call. "Important business call, huh?"

"Eh, Governor had to deal with an incident involving the President of France, Premier of Quebec, and a stray crocodile." he replied, somewhat deadpan.

"...let me guess, it escaped from the sewers?" the girl asked, her voice almost deadpan. "What was it, really?" she raised an eyebrow, frowning.

"Stray moose." Mike smiled.

"Prevented an international incident again, I see." she walked past him, looking at her phone. 10:33, Haley was almost there.

"And managed to set get the Governor a story to talk about for the rest of his career." the man's smile grew wider.

"Right..." Levanah walked out her house's front door, closing it behind her and watching carefully at the few cars passing by. Finally, she noticed a car slowing down. Out jumped Haley, wearing a black t-shirt with white trim, purple short-shorts, and black pantyhose underneath, sneakers matching her shirt, jolting to the back trunk and getting both her guitar case and a cart with a large amount of Gunpla kits inside it. She waved to the person in the car, and then dashed off to the brunette girl. In what seemed like the fraction of a second, she was already in front of her, case and cart down, arms wrapped around Levanah in a sudden embrace, causing her to blush at first, but then return the embrace.

"Nice to see you again, Levanah." Haley said with a warm, pleasant smile.

"Thanks, nice to see you too." she replied, smiling as well.

"Oh, but first, something to make up for my tardiness." she piped up, reaching over to her cart, grabbing the kit resting on the top. "Here, since your previous Gunpla got wrecked." Haley handed it to the brunette girl; one HGUC Crossbone X-1. Levanah smiled at the gift. "It... might not be able to replace all of it, but it's a start, right?" she asked, blushing a little.

"It's... it's more than a start..." the younger girl replied, looking at Haley. "Not exactly a common kit, how'd you get it so fast?"

"Oh, I have my ways~" the blonde chuckled.

"Heh, well, can't have you stand outside all day, can I? Want me to get something?"

"Nah, I've got it." the older girl replied, picking up her case and cart and walking in with Levanah. Mike met them both in the hallway, shaking Haley's hand.

"I'm going to be out for about an hour, so, Levanah, you behave yourself."

"Daaaaaaad." the brunette grumbled and frowned, knowing he was teasing, but still not appreciating it. He patted his daughter on the head, walking outside. Levanah led Haley to her room, helping the other girl take the kits out of her cart. The blonde girl looked around the room, first noticing the models on the shelves. A HGAW DX, posed with Satellite Canons deployed. An RX-78 Gundam and Command Zaku-II, posed as if they were engaged in combat with one another. A Master Grade Crossbone X-1 Kai, the Hi-Murasama Blaster held in both of its hands, pointed like a rifle. A number of other Gunpla kits were arranged neatly and dynamically, though on a shelf above them all were four ships; a small U.S.S. Enterprise carrier, a Ra Calium, a U.S.S. Defiant starship model, and a Bentenmaru, all lined up from right to left. A highly customized pinkish red, grey, and black colored HGUC Crossbone was standing next to the Bentenmaru, coloration matching the ship's and thrusters modified to match as well. It was posed with a cloth cape coming down from the shoulders, black exterior and red interior, held open by its hand, bowing forward slightly.

"Quite a collection you've got there." Haley commented, eyes shifting to a collection of figurines and other assorted toys. A Wing Gundam MS Girl, Sayla and Allenby figures flanking it, a couple other figurines next to them. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the glass tank in the room, bulb inside warming and illuminating it, and through some of the foliage inside, the inhabitant of the tank was poking her head out. Haley stumbled backwards, letting out a shout of "SNAKE!"

Thinking fast, Levanah caught the older girl before she hurt herself, the blonde clinging to her. "Don't like snakes that much, huh?" the brunette questioned, the response being a very emphatic headshake of 'no.' "Heh, sorry." she moved the other girl to her bed, walking up to the glass case. The small, green snake inside looked at her, flicking its tongue. "This is Amanda, she's harmless, a bit shy, and very gentle. Couldn't even really bite you if she tried." Her words seemed to reassure Haley a little bit, though she still stayed as far away from the case as possible, wary of the animal inside of it. Amanda, in contrast, seemed almost apathetic to the new presence in the room, continuing to slither around the branches in the tank slowly.

"Sorry, just... not much a fan of snakes." Haley said quietly, sitting down on the bed, grabbing one of the kits, a Dom.

"It's fine, honestly don't know many people who are." Levanah sat down on the other side, looking at the kits on her bed. "So what all do you have planned?"

"Weeeeeell..." her voice returned to its normal, cheerful tone. "Aside from the Extreme Gundam on guitar, I'm gonna try to have this Dom on drums..." she placed the kit down, grabbing another, "...this Maxter on keyboard..." she placed that kit down, finally picking the last one, Levanah's eyes going wide upon seeing it, "...and finally, this Descem, on bass."

"W-where... where on earth did you get a Descem?!" she asked, jaw hanging open.

"Heh, 'wasn't easy' doesn't even begin to describe it." the blonde girl replied, scratching the back of her neck. "But like I said before, I have my ways~" she smirked. "Anyway, already got all their equipment set up." Haley placed the kit down and opened her guitar case, placing the Extreme Gundam on the desk, with the other "instruments" next to it. A purple Heat Axe bass, red drum set, and green keyboard, all gathered around the Gunpla. "So... have any preference on what to build first?"

"Hmm... haven't actually built one before, so let's try the Dom first."

"Huh. Funny, kinda took you for being a sub..." Haley quipped, sticking her tongue out.

Levanah squinted, pouted, and frowned a little. "Why you..." she poked the other girl in the side and the stomach, causing her to laugh. She poked the brunette back, her turn to laugh, frown turning into a smile. Haley laid back on the bed, Levanah looking at her for a bit, mind filling with... thoughts. She stopped herself, looking away, the older girl looking up at her.

"What's up?"

"How'd... how did you..." she gulped, hesitant to finish the question. She sighed and decided to just say it. "How... did you realize-"

"That I liked girls?" the blonde finished.

Levanah blushed, silent for half a minute. She spoke quietly, somewhat ashamed that she asked such a blunt question, "...yes."

"Hmm... 'bout when I hit puberty, I guess. Just kind of... noticed." she said rather bluntly, scratching the top of her head. "You?"

Levanah went silent again, face bright red. Her eyes subconsciously darted to one of the figures on her shelves, a young brunette woman with twintails, wielding a staff weapon, wearing a mostly white magical girl outfit, blue arm guards and trim to her outfit, with a white waist-cape over a short skirt. In spite of the girl quickly looking away, Haley noticed, giggling softly.

"Ah, so, it was... 'Gundam' that made you realize it?" she teased, poking the younger girl in the side. "Never took you for being a 'Setsuna.'"

"S-shush..." the brunette grumbled, hiding her face.

"Heehee... that's kind of adorable. Don't think you'd be quite the match blondie is for her, though." Haley chuckled, hand moving up Levanah's back, tracing a finger down her spine. The younger girl let out a bit of a yelp, Haley pulling her arm back and apologizing quickly. "Gah, sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to-"

"N-no, just... you surprised me..." the brunette looked down, prominent blush on her face. She let out a deep sigh.

"Something wrong?"

"Do you..." Levanah asked quietly, a little nervousness in her voice. "I dunno, just... are we... going about this a bit... quickly?"

"Well let's see... you've already welcomed me into your home, brought me into your bedroom, and now I'm lying on down your bed..." the older girl said, her voice still having a teasing hint to it.

"Y-you know what I mean." the younger girl grumbled, fidgeting her thumbs.

"Levanah..." Haley sat up and placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder, voice taking on a more serious, but also calm and friendly tone now. "Just... take as much time as you think you need. If you aren't comfortable with... well, you know, just say it." She pulled the other girl closer, looking at her right in the eye. "Is that all right with you?"

"I... I guess..." she placed her head on the older girl's shoulder, a shy smile on her face.

"So..." the blonde pulled the Dom kit onto her lap. "Let's get started. Gunpla can't exactly build themselves." she smiled wide. Both girls let out a soft laugh, opening the kit and getting to work.

* * *

><p>"Whew, finally!" Levanah said with a grin, carefully connecting the torso and waist of a completed kit. It was 1:25 by now, two kits were done, and one was close to completion. The Dom was now painted with white replacing the purple and a deep red color replacing the black, yellowish-gold detailing on some parts, and the Maxter was relatively unchanged in coloration save the red and blue being changed into two different shades of green. The remaining kit, the Descem, was drying its fresh coat of paint, purple painted to replace the yellow and some of the white on the arms, legs, and chest.<p>

"Whew, can't believe we're almost done with it all." Haley commented, removing a spray mask and wiping her brow, backing up from the desk. She looked over to the kit she brought for Levanah. "Well, unless there's something you have planned for that Crossbone that we can work on..."

"Hmm..." the younger girl pondered, scratching her head. She pushed her chair back, grabbing the chocolate shake her father brought her earlier, as part of a lunch for them both. She took a sip, thinking over the question. "I do have some ideas for it, but no clear picture just yet..."

"What kind of ideas?"

"Well, parts of an Exia or 00 or something of the like to go with it. A GN Drive would be useful in complimenting the Crossbone's natural speed and agility."

"Ooooh, I like. But is that all? I mean it'll work for a last resort thing, but I'd think you'd want to do a bit more, right?"

"Yeah, that's the thing. I know there's something else I can do... something to give it an edge up on the competition..." Levanah leaned back, taking another sip. Haley looked over, poking the head of one of the figures on the shelf, a 1/144 scale RG Wing Zero. "Heeey, wait a sec... Haley, can you hand me that for a sec?"

"Huh? Sure." she handed the Gunpla down gently. She tried to question, "Why do y-" but stopped, realizing what was going on in Levanah's mind as she saw the girl carefully move around the weapons on the Gundam. "That... might clash with the rest of the Gunpla, don't you think?"

"That's why I'll put a little extra spin on it." the brunette grinned, pointing her thumb at the MG Crossbone. "Some sort of... Twin Hi-Murasama Busters."

"Sounds... like a lot of work." the blonde shrugged. "But I guess if you can get it to mesh properly..."

"Still missing something, though... I know there's more I can do..." Levanah went back into deep thought, placing the Wing Zero back on the shelf.

"Hmm..." Haley sat back, resting on Levanah's bed. She noticed two figures next to the TV, a couple Revoltechs, both with large faces on their chests, one red in color with black, pointed "sunglasses" adorning it, the other primarily black and blue, large chest-face a striking, vibrant gold. Levanah looked at her pose and play with them for a bit, eyes going wide. She found her inspiration. The girl jumped up, grabbing Haley by the arms.

"Haley, that's it!" she said excitedly, planting a kiss on the other girl's lips. Levanah stopped abruptly, letting go and backing up a bit, her face bright pink.

"Hm... hint of chocolate to that." the blonde commented. Levanah hid her face from her, shying away. "That was a bit sudden but... hey, is something wrong?" The younger girl tried to shake her head no. "What? You're acting like-" Haley stopped, silent for a moment. She poked the other girl's shoulder, a knowing smile across her face. "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Levanah slowly nodded, still trying hide her face. She peeked through her fingers and mumbled quietly, "S-sorry... guess it... just..."

Haley stood up, pulling the younger girl's arms down from her face. "Was not what you were expecting?" Levanah nodded again, face still flushed red. "Maybe you were looking for something more..." she wrapped her arms around her waist, "like..." Haley pulled her close, the younger girl looking at the older one with stars in her eyes, "this~" they pressed their lips together gently, Levanah closing her eyes and putting her hands on Haley's hips, leaning forward slightly. They stayed that way for around a minute and a half, finally breaking the kiss. "That any better?"

"...Much."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: I don't own the rights to any part of the Gundam franchise. If I did, the designs for Frozen Teardrop's Warlock and Snow White would have been revealed by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: To the Path Drawn for the Future<strong>

* * *

><p>Madison Square Garden's Basketball stadium, a Saturday morning. The stadium was packed, murmurs and whispers among the crowds. The American Championships, and Qualifiers for the 9th Gunpla Battle World Championship, certainly no small-scale sporting event. Lights go out in the stadium, the crowd's cacophony quiets. A spotlight comes on in the center stage. Haley Jo, dressed in a purple vest, black, long-sleeved shirt, and white short-shorts, with purple leggings going up from black boots, addresses the crowd;<p>

"Llllllladies aaaaaand gentlemen, welcome to the American Gunpla Battle Championships!" she shouted, playing a quick riff with her guitar. Four Gunpla lit up, the "stage" she was standing on emitting a blue glow, bringing the Gunpla to life. They flew around in formation, each one prepping their instruments. "More than 32 contestants, Gunpla builders and fighters, have gathered here from across the nation! All looking for the chance to claim the title of 'American Champion,' and head to Japan to compete in the World Tournament!" The crowd cheered as the screens above her lit up, clips of previous tournaments playing on it. "Now, let's all give a big round of applause for these contestants, here to give it their all in Gunpla Battle!" The screens switched from the clipshow to brackets, names being called one by one to fill them in, order apparently already determined through random selection.

["GREGORY GLENN"]

The mugshot of a young blonde man appeared, next to him some small bits of personal information; he was from Massachusetts, 18 years old, and some other small details such as him being a College Football star. The information slid into the mugshot, it moving into the first bracket slot as Haley began to play a heavily rock-influenced take on "Tobe! Gundam." The Extreme Gundam and purple-tinted Descem began strumming their guitar and bass guitar, red and white Dom tapped its drums, sound resonating through the stadium, Maxter's keyboard finally entering the tune.

["PROFESSOR CLYDE DOOZY"]

A mugshot of an elderly man, hair wild and white on the sides, slightly balding on the top, appeared next. He was from Oregon, 61 years old, PhD in robotics. The announcements continued as the song went on. The tournament's fighters were in away from the crowds and stadiums, in a separate waiting room, watching the roster fill up. There, Levanah and her father waited, the girl dressed again in the same outfit combination as she had last Sunday, skull-and-crossbone earrings included. She looked around the room, recognizing a few people, elbowing her father and conversing with him quietly. "Hey, hey dad, there's Greco Logan." she pointed to a tall, imposing man, almost as large as Mike, dressed in a white tanktop and green shorts.

"Heh, had a feeling he'd show up again." the girl's father looked at Greco, scratching his chin. "Seems he's talking with someone?"

"Ricardo Fellini, the Italian champ. Rival and close friend of his, too." Levanah turned her attention back to the roster, fourth slot about to be announced.

["PAULINA SYKES"]

The mugshot of a girl with short, well-combed, deep blue hair, appeared on the bracket. From Arizona, 15 years old, and already training to be an aircraft pilot. She seemed to be up against a slightly androgynous blonde boy, Karras Nemo, another 15 year old from Maine. Levanah's attention turned back to the conversation between Fellini and Greco, only to discover that they were staring at her father. "Heh heh, I guess you really can't go anywhere without people recognizing you, dad."

"Hah! Guess not. Might as well say hello, then." he commented, waving to the two, asking them to come over. The two hesitated, but decided to go through with it. Mike shook both their hands, Greco being the first to speak.

"I can't exactly say I expected you to be here, Mister Pr- ah, I mean, Mister Morgan." he said somewhat nervously, Fellini nodding his head. "What's a former US President doing here?"

"My little girl's a contestant, actually." Mike replied with a friendly laugh, patting his daughter on the shoulder. She smiled and politely shook hands with both.

"Is that so? Well congrats on making it this far." Fellini commented, Greco nodding.

"Heh, thanks." Levanah seemed a bit nervous, but also a bit excited. This certainly wasn't the place she thought she'd be barely more than a week ago, and the atmosphere, the sheer presence of such skilled fighters was fueling that thought quite a lot. But it was an invigorating feeling to her, being able to fight against such skilled opponents.

["LEVANAH MORGAN"]

Her attention turned back to the brackets. She was at the 7th slot, to her relief the little factiod neglecting to mention her parentage. Eyes still focused on it, though, as her first opponent would be coming up soon.

["ZANG COLE"]

"A woman? Bah! I was hoping for a challenge." a young man shouted from the other side of the room, to Levanah's annoyance. She looked in the direction of the voice, a somewhat tall Asian-American boy, info saying he was a 15 year old from Oregon, standing in a dark blue tanktop, white pants. In his hand was a black and primarily red Altron Gundam, original TV version, wings of the Eypon Gundam mounted on the Gunpla's back. He turned and walked out in a huff, frown on his face, pushing past a couple people.

"Always someone like that, I suppose..." Greco sighed, watching the boy walk off.

"Well, it probably means is he'll be underestimating me." the girl shrugged. "Kinda wish I'd have a more serious opponent for the first round."

"Haha, seems you have a good deal of confidence, Señorita."

"...wait, 'Señorita?' I thought you were Italian." Mike questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Hah! It's a bit of a joke he has going on." Greco answered for him. "'The Italian Dandy' here thinks he's some sort of Casanova whenever he sees a pretty girl." he snarked, elbowing his friend in the arm.

"Uh-huh. Not interested." Levanah remarked dismissively.

"Ouch, shot down so quickly. With sharpshooting skills like that, no wonder you're in this tournament!" Fellini chuckled, taking it in stride. "Ah, but I actually have my eyes set on another."

"Yeah yeah, don't have to rub it in." Greco said with fake annoyance. "Not everyone can have an idol singer girlfriend like you."

"Hm..." the girl turned to the monitor again, eyes now fixed on Haley. She gave a small, subdued smile. "Well, seems that's something besides Gunpla Battle we have in common, Mister Fellini." He turned his head to her, confused expression on his face. He then looked to where she was looking, and after a moment his jaw hung open, realizing what she meant.

"Ah... um..." Fellini backed up a bit, somewhat dumbfounded. He looked at the screen again, then back at Levanah. Finally, he smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Not bad, little miss. Not bad at all." The compliment caused her to laugh. Fellini and Greco made some more small talk with the two to pass the time, both American Gunpla Fighters wishing the other good luck as the two younger men walked off.

"Meet the most interesting kinds of people, huh dad?"

"Hah, reminds me a bit of DC. Always someone just around the corner, a-"

"Michael Morgan, my my, it's been a while." a woman's voice, sounding very kind and sweet but also like a wise old aunt's, interrupted and addressed the man, both Mike and Levanah recognizing it.

"Jen? Jen Mul?" he said in a surprised tone. "Haha, what're you doing here?"

"Saw little Levanah's name on that bracket, so I thought I'd stop by." she said with a smile. The woman, seemingly in her late 30s, was dressed in a formal red jacket with a black shirt underneath, black, formal pants below. Her sandy blonde hair was done up in a bun, pleasant smile on her face. "Ah, forgive me, you're not so little anymore, are you? Seven years seems like it goes by so quickly."

"N-nice to meet you too, aun- I mean, Miss Mul." Levanah shyly shook her hand.

"How's the old gang been, Jen?" Mike questioned.

"Well, it's been a while since I last talked with Jonathan, but last I heard he was thinking about going into politics. Jim hasn't changed a bit though, still living like he's some sort of young cowboy. Still trying to hide that bald spot too!" she gave a hearty laugh, Mike laughing along. "Hahaa, I know, I know... anyway, Jean and Ben are still pretty active, though. Keeping the peace and all that. And me, well, I'm here it seems."

"Ah, why are you here, exactly?"

["GRECO LOGAN"]

All three turned their attention to the screen. Greco was in the 25th slot, with his opponent soon to be announced. Jen gave another pleasant smile. "Well, why do you think I'm here?"

["JEN MUL"]

Both Mike and Levanah made a double take. Neither could believe their eyes, but the woman's mugshot was there. 39 years old, from Indiana, Navy Captain. "Hah, guess that answers the question for me."

"You... but... how-" the man stuttered, his daughter slack-jawed and silent.

"I'll see you later in the Tournament, little Levanah." Jen replied, waving to the two as she walked off.

"...Dad?"

"Yes, kiddo?"

"Did that really just happen?"

"Yes, kiddo."

Levanah rubbed the back of her neck. "This... is going to be a strange couple of days."

* * *

><p>After all the first round battles had been announced, the fighters were given a brief period of rest and tune-up. Two battles would occur simultaneously, with two Gunpla Battle Fields being set up on either side of the stadium. Levanah took the opportunity to get herself a drink, when...<p>

"Levvy! Levvy!" Belle shouted and waved to her friend, Blair right beside her. Levanah couldn't help but smile at them. Both were dressed casually, a primarily orange sundress on Belle and a blue t-shirt and black pants on Blair. Both were holding a well decorated sign with her name on it.

"Aw, you guys..." she pulled them both into a tight, friendly hug.

"We'll be rooting for you, Levanah." Blair said with a smile. "All of us." He jabbed backwards with his thumb, pointing to a small but noticable number of their classmates and other friends.

Levanah waved to them, soft cheers coming from the group. "Looks like it, Blair. Thanks."

Their conversation was interrupted by a somewhat far off voice, apparently eavesdropping on them. "Blair? That's a girl's name."

The boy looked in the direction of the voice, glaring as he knew exactly who it was. "Zang Cole..."

"Fitting that someone as weak as you has it." Levanah's opponent smugly talked down to her friend.

"Blair, you know him?" the brunette girl whispered.

"My... cousin." he replied quietly, hanging his head. Zang laughed at him, crossing his arms. "Is that the only reason you came here, to laugh at me?" Blair demanded, looking back up.

"Honestly I was just on my way to get some water. But since you're here..." he shrugged and laughed, still smirking.

"Great, just what I need before the match starts..." Levanah mumbled under her breath. "Don't you have bigger things to be worried about?" she questioned, unamused by her opponent's antics.

"What do I have to worry about? My op-" he stopped and saw who asked. "Hah, hiding behind girls to protect you, Blair? What, is she your girlfriend or something?"

"No." Belle answered for him, arms wrapping around Blair's, causing him to blush. "They're friends."

"Hmnph. Makes no difference. Though I'll try and go easy on you, girl." Zang said in a purposefully annoyed tone, trying to mock her. Levanah just rolled her eyes in response, barely even dignifying the comment. "You might be better off just forfeiting now, though. It'll save us both the trouble." The boy then turned and walked away, even more sure of his victory than before.

"...Belle, make sure your cellphone camera's ready." Blair spoke, smirking.

"Huh? Why for?"

"I'd like to know that there'll be a few more people capturing the look on Zang's face when he loses."

"As much as I like getting involved in other people's family conflicts, Blair..." Levanah sighed, an expression of concern on her face coming through a fake smile. "I don't intend to go out and humiliate opponents if I win. Not good sportsmanship to rub salt in a fresh wound."

"Heh, I'll try not to force it on you."

"Blair..."

"Promise." he said with a dishonest grin.

"Ugh... whatever." She looked down at her watch. It was close to starting time for the first couple matches. Swiftly dashing towards her other friends and conversing with them, she then helped them all get some close-up seats.

On one side of the court were the first two combatants, Greg Glenn and Professor Doozy. The former fighter was dressed in a flashy black and white ship captain's uniform, most likely cosplaying as something, the latter fighter merely wearing a formal tan jacket, yellow shirt, and brown slacks. Glenn set down his Gunpla, a somewhat basic Astray Red Frame, little added to it. The Professor did the same, his being an SD RX-78, of all things, with a modified shield and what looked to be a football in its hand instead of its rifle.

The other side of the stadium had Karras Nemo, who dressed in what seemed to be a military school outfit. His opponent, Paulina Sykes, wore a red jack with tan shoulders over a white shirt, baggy blue pants leading down from them. Karras had a mashup between the Bertigo and Quebley, the end result looking tall, bulky, and quite imposing. Paulina on the other hand had a Gundam X, based primarily on the Divider though with parts from the Airmaster and, most strikingly, the G-Falcon, the whole package seeming to look like a GX-based homage to the Zeta Gundam.

Haley, her Gunpla done with their show and all landing neatly on the stage, gave a bow to the crowd cheers resounding from the performance. She looked around, trying to find Levanah through the crowd. The brunette girl gave a small wave, causing Haley to smile when she finally noticed her. She finally addressed both groups of contestants. "Fighters! Are you ready?!" All four of them nodded. "Then let's get these matches started!" An announcement resonated through the arena:

[BATTLE START]

The matches began. The Astray and SD Gundams dashed through a city landscape, not wasting time engaging each other... if one could call what they were doing such a thing. The Astray wasn't using any of its weapons, instead tossing the football belonging to the SD Gundam back and forth with its opponent. There was an odd beeping sound coming from the object, confusing the crowd at first until they almost collectively figured out what it really was.

"Can't say I expected... this, when I got here." Blair mentioned to his friends.

"Odd that Glenn is using such a basic build. Not many things added to it." Levanah noticed, pondering on what it meant in terms of the fighter's abilities. Perhaps it was what he excelled at, perhaps it was for a challenge, perhaps it was just personal preference.

"The other one is kinda cute though~" Belle said with a smile, a couple other female friends of theirs nodding in agreement. Attention turned to the farther side of the arena.

The other battle was far more intense. Karras tried keeping pressure on Paulina with his Gunpla's funnels, the girl dodging them and returning fire, switching between its MS and jet modes to try and stay ahead of her opponent. Neither could get a clear hit on the other, tension building between the fighters, each carefully trying to predict the other's movements.

"I'm impressed by that one. Seems like a logical mashup between two similar suits. Quite sturdy too." Blair adjusted his glasses, keeping track of Karras' Gunpla.

"The other one's got quite the skilled fighter and builder, though. It's not easy going up against that many funnels at once. And she's managed to get those kits to work together really well. I'm impressed." Levanah sat back a little, smirking.

Glenn finally seemed to have an idea, and had his Astray tackle the smaller Gunpla, slamming the football into it while it was prone, and dashing away as quickly as possible. The beeping intensified, Professor Doozy attempted to get his SD Gundam up, but time ran out; a large explosion engulfed it and a significant portion of the simulated city, small, cartoonish mushroom cloud coming out of the crater. Glenn let out a sigh of relief as he heard the announcer call:

[BATTLE ENDED]

"Don't think that's quite how it works." Mike, sitting in the row above his daughter, commented. "Then again it has been seven years, maybe it's gotten a bit more literal since then." Levanah rolled her eyes and groaned.

"And that's it for the first battle of the tournament! But looks like the second's still in high gear, who will come out on top?" Haley shouted to the crowd, cheers for Glenn resounding through the arena. He shook hands with his recently defeated opponent, the two conversing and having a good laugh over the... unorthodox battle.

Meanwhile, the other battle raged on. Paulina's approach had switched from attacking the opponent directly towards engaging the funnels, destroying them one by one. As its offensive options dwindled, Karras attempted to rush his opponent. This was the chance Paulina was waiting for, as she switched her GX back into its G-Falcon mode, boosting towards the enemy Gunpla. Once close enough, she unleashed a flurry of beams at Karras' Gunpla, most dodged or striking non-vital pieces of armor, but a lucky shot went right through its head. She pushed on, transforming back into MS mode and slashing down with the GX's Beam Saber. That was all it took for the battle to finally draw to a close.

[BATTLE ENDED]

Cheers resumed, Karras looking disappointed but still smiled at his opponent, collecting his Gunpla and congratulating her on the win. The brackets came into view again, the winners' portraits rising up as the losers were crossed out.

"Let's give another round of applause for these skilled fighters!" The crowd went wild as both victors stepped forward, bowing to the audience. "A quick five minute break period will occur before the start of the next couple matches."

"Guess I better get ready..." Levanah stood up, stretching her limbs.

"Good luck, Levvy!~" Belle stretched out her hand, the taller girl high-fiving it as she walked to the aisle. She looked down at her satchel. She might have given it a couple test runs yesterday, but now, it was time to put it to a real test. Heading down to the arena, she approached one of the Gunpla Battle Terminals. Zang came a couple of minutes later, smugly confident as before. Finally, as the other two fighters reached their terminal, Haley announced that the wait period was over.

"Aaaaaaallllll righty! Ladies and gentlemen, next set of matches are about to begin!"

The terminal lit up.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

All fighters placed their GP Bases down, every one of them focused on the battle to come.

[BEGINNING PLAVSKY PARTICLE DISPERSAL]

"You really should have taken my offer of quitting while you're ahead, woman." Zang said smugly to his opponent, a blue glow filling each Battle Field.

[FIELD 03: FOREST]

[FIELD 11: CASTLE]

An imposingly large feudal Japanese castle appeared before Levanah and Zang. The girl spoke plainly to her opponent, "I don't intend to go down so easily. Try not to be overconfident."

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GUNPLA]

Zang placed down his red and black Altron Gundam, frowning. Levanah placed down hers, cloak obscuring most of it save the signature X-shaped thrusters on its back. Both of them gripped the holographic controls.

[BATTLE START]

"Zang Cole! Altron Gundam Ascent! Launch!"

"Levanah Morgan! Crossbone Gundam EXCELSA! Time for some piracy!"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Gundam franchise. If I did, there'd already be a Master Grade Kampfer Amazing.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Knocking on the Door Towards Tomorrow<strong>

* * *

><p>"Stop dodging and fight me!" Zang shouted, his Altron Gundam flinging a Dragon Fang at its opponent, missing by half a meter as Levanah predicted such a move easily. This had been the situation for almost half a minute since the match started, the Crossbone dodging as the Altron attempted to attack it. Levanah's Gundam was mostly obscured by the Anti-Beam Cloak covering it, only things clearly visible to the onlookers being the signature X-shaped thrusters and new GN Drive between them, modified Crossbone head, and twin, slimmed down versions of the Murasama blades in each hand, lower handguards removed. "Rrrgghh! You coward! You're only delaying the inevitable! Now stand still!"<p>

Levanah sighed. "You really aren't taking this seriously..."

"W-what? Why should I-"

"You underestimate an opponent..." the beam blades on one of the Murasama weapons activated. "...and it won't matter how skilled you really are..." As the Dragon Fang flew towards the Crossbone again, a powerful upward slash cut it off from the rest of the Altron's arm. "...you'll regret it all too quickly." She had the second blade flip down, her Gunpla gripping it by the hilt gun handle, firing a shot directly at the enemy Gundam. Trying to think quickly, Zang blocked the shot with his Altron's shield... for what good it did. The shield broke away, part of the beam connecting and sending the Gundam flying into a castle.

"H-how..." Zang seemed distraught, sparks flying from the damaged section of his Gundam. He watched as Levanah landed her Crossbone a good distance away, standing on a rooftop, Murasamas pointed down. "No... no, this can't... you... ggrraaagh!" he gritted his teeth and roared, tapping the holographic controls. "Fine, woman, I'll show you no mercy! You have no one to blame for what's about to happen but yourself!" The Altron's eyes emitted a flash as Zang clicked an item on the controls. New screens opened up around him, subtle beeping sounds being emitted and lines locking on to the opponent.

In the crowd, Levanah's friends watched carefully. Blair bit his lower lip, knowing what was coming. "So, he's going to use 'that' already..."

"Use what?" Belle questioned.

"The ZERO System."

The Altron dashed forward, Crossbone dodging, but with barely enough time to realize that it was attacking with its still functional Dragon Fang. It clamped down on the cloak, missing the arm by millimeters. A small weapon appeared from the back of Zang's Gundam, taking aim at Levanah's. The thrusters on the Crossbone fired up, barely missing a headshot and dashing backwards, some of the cloak tearing, revealing the entirety of the right arm of the girl's Gunpla. A large white plate on one side of the forearm indicated that this new variation possessed the Beam Branders of the X-1 and X-2 Crossbones, while a different, blue plate on the other side indicated it possessing the palm-based I-Field generator of the X-3 and Levanah's earlier X-7 custom. Levanah kept her distance, Zang waiting for an opening.

"W-what just happened?!" Belle exclaimed.

"The ZERO System originates from Gundam Wing, used by the Wing Zero and Eypon Gundams." Blair adjusted his glasses, glaring at his cousin. "In the series, it gave the pilot almost precognitive abilities, predicting and locating enemies and even potential enemies... at a cost. It could corrupt a pilot's mind and drive them into endless battle. It behaves in a somewhat similar fashion in Gunpla Battle, though it's functionally more like an Aimbot."

"Wait, wouldn't that be cheating? If he always knows where his opponent is going to be, and is automatically locked on, then... oh no, Levvy!" the blonde girl shouted in worry.

"Not quite." Mike spoke up, causing Levanah's friends to turn to him. "In a first-person shooter, it might be, but in a match like this, auto-lock can be just as much of a detriment as it is a benefit. Quick thinking with shields can block shots fired at an opponent, and remote weapons can lead to a person not picking up on potential threats without superhuman reaction times. The lack of direct feedback can also lead to the Fighter not really catching all the information it feeds them. And there's also the issue of, well, overconfidence." Mike smirked. "And if I know my girl, she's got an idea on how to counter this all figured out by now."

Zang laughed, finding what the ZERO System claimed was an opening. "Your time is up, woman! You should have given up when you had the chance! I can now predict your every movement!" The Dragon Fang flung towards the Crossbone, grabbing it by the arm and forcefully reeling it closer to Zang's Gundam.

"And you should think things through better!" Levanah shouted, grinning. Her Crossbone placed its equipment on its hips, clicking sounds indicating them being locked down. The faceplate opened, X-shaped thrusters clamped down on each other as the GN Drive fired up, a burst of speed propelling it towards the opponent faster than the Dragon Fang could pull. The blue vents on the lower arms opened, a barely visible field covering the Gundam.

"A-a feint?!" Zang gasped in shock. The ZERO System flared up warnings, telling him to let go and counterattack, taking aim with the back-mounted weapon and firing, only for the shots to be deflected. Quickly he released the Crossbone, trying to grab his Beam Trident, but before he could act Levanah's Gunpla slammed into his, dazing it slightly. A sharp left hook to the face fractured the eye of the Altron, ZERO System now displaying a barrage of error messages to Zang.

"Predict this!" Levanah had her Crossbone grab the Alron by the shoulder with its left hand, right hand free to reach around to its back, grabbing a shotgun stored there and hitting the opponent in the chest with the barrel, unloading several shots into the body of the Altron, Vulcans firing at its head. Falling to the ground with a loud, lifeless "thud," the call was made:

[BATTLE ENDED]

"Levanah Morgan is the winner! Let's give her a big round of applause, folks!" Haley shouted, to the cheers of the crowd. "This concludes the second pair of battles of the tournament!"

Zang fell to his knees, eyes wide and mouth agape, unable to believe what just happened. His eyes turned to the ground. _There... there must be some mistake... I had... I..._ His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching him. He looked up, a hand outstretched towards him.

"Nice try, ZERO system is a good touch to a primarily melee-oriented Gunpla like that. I can see why you went with an Epyon theme for it." Levanah spoke kindly, a smile on her face. "Problem was you weren't really taking the fight seriously. That'll cost ya' big time." Zang remained silent, turning his head. He sighed, then let her help himself up.

"Hmnh..." Zang then turned away, collecting his Gunpla. "I won't be so careless next time." He said with a bit of anger in his voice, not looking at his opponent. "...good luck with the rest of the tournament." He walked off in a bit of a sulk, staring down at his broken Gundam.

Levanah shrugged, grabbing her Crossbone and walking off, looking up at Haley for a moment. The older girl gave her a quick wink, causing her to smile. _That's one match down... but it's only gonna be tougher from here on out_... As she left the court, she noticed Jen waiting for her.

"Not bad, little Levanah." the woman said with a comforting smile. "Ah, there I go again. You must forgive me, old habits die hard."

"I-it's all right." the brunette girl said with a bit of hesitation.

"You seem troubled, is something wrong?"

"I guess I'm just surprised to see you here, Miss Mul." Levanah shrugged.

"Ah, not that much of a surprise now, is it?" she questioned. "We all have our hobbies, don't we? Why last I heard even your father seems to have taken quite a shine to Gunpla Battling."

"I... guess."

"Captain." an African-American man dressed in similar attire to Jen, save the red being replaced for a golden yellow color, approached the woman. "McNeil has made the necessary adjustments to the model, and I have just completed updating the GP Base." he said to her in a calm, calculating tone of voice.

"Ah, thank you Mr. Russ. Trust that we will not have a repeat of last time, yes?" Jen replied, to Levanah's confusion.

"Everything is working within parameters." the man reassured.

"Woah woah woah, wait, what's going on?" Levanah asked, lost in this sudden interruption.

"Ah forgive me, I guess I can explain a little bit to you, it's not like it will be some sort of big secret for long." Jen said with a shrug. "I'm not doing this alone. It's a team effort, really, with me and some of my cohorts from the Navy. They insisted on helping when I brought the subject up, and, well, here we are."

"Ah... OK, this is making a bit more sense now." the brunette girl remarked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Truth be told I'm not the best builder. But McNeil has been more than willing to help in that department. Russ here's worked with me on the programming. And of course, I'm the one doing the battling." The woman tuned, about to walk away. She gave the girl one last look, still smiling. "Don't let your guard down, kiddo. Things will only get tougher from here."

"I'll... keep that in mind." Levanah replied hesitantly, finding the comment oddly chilling, as if there were something sinister to its tone. She watched the pair leave, almost jumping as she heard another match come to a close.

[BATTLE ENDED]

Looking back at the court, she saw the victor being cheered by the crowd. A man in his 30s with messy, somewhat spiky, very dark brown hair, goatee matching his hair color, dressed in a blue suit and matching pants, white shirt underneath. Levanah stared for a moment, seeming to recognize him. After a moment she realized how quickly that match had gone by; her conversation with Ms. Mul couldn't have lasted longer than a minute. Listening in, she could hear Haley commentating through the crowd's cheers.

"That must be a record, folks! Max Burns put up a good fight, but Kristopher Tigre just dominated the battle!" she shouted excitedly, tone of surprise in her voice. Levanah dashed back to the seats, questioning her friends on what happened when she arrived.

"We're as surprised as you are." Blair began to explain, "'Wild Titus' is what I think he called his Gunpla, though its chest seemed to be based on the Maxter's, legs coming from the Beginning Gundam."

"It was relentless! He just kept going at it!" Belle shouted, jabbing at the air in front of her slightly.

"Guess I'll have to keep an eye out next time..." Levanah commented, watching the next four fighters come in. _This is definitely gonna tougher from here on out_...

0-0

Match after match went by, battles both quick and exhausting, fights of relentless force, cunning tactics, and... amusing gimmicks. But from the reaction of the crowds, this would be the match they were waiting for. One of the other fighters bowed out of his match just to make sure he and his opponent could watch it without distraction. Haley addressed the crowd:

"It seems like this is a big one, folks! Next match is between Greco Logan-" cheers filled the air, causing her to pause for a moment, "-eh heh, and Jen Mul!" Especially loud cheers for Greco came from a man sitting not that far from Levanah's group, easily recognizable as Ricardo Fellini.

The two fighters entered, Greco by himself and Jen flanked by two others, Mr. Russ from before and another, brown-haired man wearing an outfit similar to the other two, apparently the man they were referring to as "McNeil." They all approached the Gunpla Battle Field.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GP BASE]

Greco and Jen did as such, Jen's cohorts giving silent nods to the woman.

[BEGINNING PLAVSKY PARTICLE DISPERSAL]

The field filled with the blue glow of the particles, surrounding the fighters.

[FIELD 01: SPACE]

The holograms produced a small debris field in space, a space colony in the background of it.

[PLEASE, SET YOUR GUNPLA]

Greco smirked, placing down a green, modified Tallgeese. Jen placed hers down, McNeil smiling at it.

Blair let out a quiet gasp. "L-Levanah, look..."

"Hmn?"

"That Gunpla... it's..."

[BATTLE START]

"Greco Logan! Tallgeese Valhalla! Let's go!"

"Jen Mul, Phoenix Gundam Voyager. Engage."

Greco's Gunpla, a Tallgeese III with a primarily dark green color scheme, gold highlights and details breaking up the color a bit, burst forth from the starting position and quickly attempted to take aim at his opponent. Jen's Gunpla, a Phoenix Gundam painted primarily grey and bluish-grey, with few reddish-orange highlights and vibrant, sky blue chest panels, began zig-zagging, preventing Greco from getting a lock. Greco responded by closing in, keeping an eye on his opponent's movements. For a moment she seemed to hesitate, Greco having his Gunpla grab its Beam Saber and attempt to stab at the Phoenix Gundam.

"Too easy." Jen muttered with a smirk, dodging easily and having her Gunpla fly backwards, transforming to its Mobile Armor mode. A sharp, blatantly noticeable difference in speed between the two suddenly became apparent to Greco, who had his Tallgeese dash back to cover in the debris, trying to bait his opponent into closing in on him. This proved to be a mistake, as the sound of Funnels rushing towards him put him back on the defensive. A barrage of beams flew towards him, most firing past with a few hitting the Tallgeese's shield.

"Come on, Greco!" Fellini shouted through the crowd, clear sound of worry in his voice.

"Levvy, what is that thing?" Belle quietly asked her friend.

"A Phoenix Gundam..." she replied in a hushed tone. "A videogame-exclusive Gundam, like Haley's Extreme. Gunpla of it is even less common than, though, and from the look of things, she's modified it a good deal..."

"Look at her, she's... she's just toying with him." Blair spoke with a hint of shock in his voice. "Some of those funnel shots missed on purpose."

Jen let out a friendly laugh. "Come on, old champ, you're not that rusty!" The funnels continued firing at the Tallgeese, Greco giving a smirk.

"You're right." The shield's Heat Rod extended, and with a fearless burst of speed he charged down the Funnels one by one, slashing at them before they could fire at him. He quickly turned to face the opposing Gunpla, Mega Beam Cannon charging. The Phoenix Gundam didn't move this time, standing there as the Tallgeese fired at it. The beam connected... into a barrier surrounding Jen's Gunpla.

"A-an I-Field?!" Levanah shouted.

"No, that was something stronger." Blair commented, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe a GN Field, though there'd be a more blatant tell..."

Back at the battle, Jen let out another laugh, Greco charging up another shot. "It seems you know that this won't hold forever..." The wing cannons on the Phoenix Gundam took aim at its opponent, quickly charging. "But you won't have the chance."

"Phased Beam Cannons at maximum charge, Captain." Russ stated.

"Time to end this!" Jen shouted, tapping on the holographic controls. "Phased Beam Cannons, FIRE!"

Greco's eyes went wide as he saw four titanic beams fly towards his Tallgeese. He attempted to dodge, but it was too late; the beams tore through the Gunpla like a hot knife through butter. The remnants were knocked back hard enough that they almost went out of bounds, following explosion signaled the end to the match.

[BATTLE ENDED]

The crow was silent for a moment, but then started cheering. Jen and McNeil gave each other a high-five, Russ merely nodding with approval.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is: Jen Mul!" Haley announced to the howling crowd. "And with that out of the way, all matches of the first round are over! The tournament will take a break, and resume at 2 PM. So please, take your time to stretch, get some lunch, and be aware that there's a special, free Gunpla giveaway in the lobby. See you all soon!"

Levanah looked up at her father as if to ask him something, who himself was unsure how to react to this. Noticing her, he gave a shrug. "I'm as surprised as you are, kiddo. Can't say I was expecting... that."

On the ground floor, Jen had already collected her Gunpla, walking over to Greco and offering him a hand. He sighed, but smiled and shook it, congratulating her on the victory. "Guess I am getting a bit rusty, but next time will be different."

"Hah, I'm just glad to see you've still got some fighting spirit in there." she replied with a smile. "Though we don't intend on losing any time in the foreseeable future. We've got a lot riding on this tournament."

"Good luck then, Miss Mul." Greco nodded, turning to gather the remains of his Tallgeese and walking off, Fellini already out of the crowds, waiting for him.

_We don't need luck_. the woman thought to herself with a smirk. _We're going to help change the world... for the better_.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Gundam franchise or anything even resembling it. If I did, the Gundam Breaker game series would have gotten console and PC releases worldwide by now. I'd probably also take more time off during the holidays.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Because It's Our Destiny <strong>

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, the G Reco Ending song should have been switched with the Opening." Blair said emphatically to the group sitting at a table outside Madison Square Garden. Belle was listening quietly while slowly sipping a soda, amused by the ongoing conversation.<p>

"Look we've been over this, yes the Ending song works better than the Opening, but the Opening doesn't really work as the Ending. It'd be like trying to close out Wing with 'Just Communication.'" Levanah replied, rolling her eyes.

"I dunno, that seems a bit too far. 'Blazing' doesn't really have the impact that 'Just Communication' does. It's upbeat and all, but wouldn't have such a dramatic shift." Haley, sitting next to Levanah, arm wrapped around her, injected into the conversation. "Does work for either opening or ending, I'd say. 'G no Senko' is the better song of the two, I'll admit to that at least."

"Fair enough." Levanah nodded, finishing off the last couple of her fries.

"Where'd your dad head off to anyway? He seemed to be in a hurry after getting lunch." the blonde girl questioned, twirling one of her purple-dyed strands of hair.

"He... wanted to ask Ms. Mul something." the brunette replied in a hesitant tone, pulling her cap down a little. Her unease was hard to describe, as if there were something subtly off from how she remembered the woman. "She was a close friend of his years ago, along with a few others."

"I remember her. Was quite surprised to see her again, especially here of all places." a girl's voice piped up, drawing Levanah's attention. Recognizing it as Rin, she turned in her direction... and the brunette and her friends had to hold back the giggling once they saw what she was wearing.

"Pftt... m-mind explaining, Rin?" Blair inquired, trying the hardest not to laugh. Rin's outfit was a simple but striking orange martial arts gi and pants, with a blue undershirt, cloth belt, and armbands, boots of a darker blue with yellow details. Even her usually wavy, messy long red hair seemed to be spiked a bit.

"I... well, you see, Yajima is thinking of expanding its 'Gunpla Battle' franchise into a broader range." she began to explain, scratching the back of her head. "The idea is to have it eventually become a broader 'Plamo Battle' franchise, with different game modes for different series with Plamo kits. I helped a bit with the programming on this one, and we put on a bit of a... ah, tech demo."

"Of course, you'd pick _that_ Figurerise kit." Levanah commented, smirking a little. "You already have the outfit for cosplay. Harder to get a new karate bugman or armored superhero one, and I know you'd never dress up as a pirate." The brunette stuck her tongue out at Rin, the ginger girl giving a glare.

"Well, I guess it would certainly be a flashy demonstration." Belle spoke up, smiling wide. "Kinda wish I got to see it."

"If everything goes as planned, you'll get that chance." Rin stated with confidence, crossing her arms. "Bandai execs were certainly impressed."

"So how long did you stay up at night practicing your shouting?" Levanah teased. "Manage to at least get to yell his signature attack?"

"Laugh it up, _kaizoku_, but don't act like you'd be all that different given the chance." the redhead responded, frowning. A moment of silence passed before the two shared a laugh. "Congrats on making it past the first round, by the way."

"Still wish it played out a bit more seriously."

"You're just upset you didn't get to show-off." Rin sniped, sticking out her tongue, the brunette faking a frown. "I'll be looking forward to seeing what you have in store." The ginger girl said with a smirk, continuing on her way.

"Well." Haley finally piped up, the group's attention turning to her. "As much as I'd like to stay, gotta make sure my stuff's all set up for the start of the next set of matches." She planted a quick kiss on Levanah's cheek, a shy smile crawling across her face accompanying a noticeable blush, and moved to grab her guitar case. As she stepped out of the booth, head turned to wink at Levanah, she walked face-first into another person. A moment of confusion passed before she could see who it was, and to the surprise of the group, it was one of the competitors, Kristopher Tigre.

"Woah woah, what's the rush, Haley?" He addressed the girl in a familiar tone, replacing the group's surprise with confusion. The blonde's reply transformed that confusion into shock.

"Gah, sorry uncle, didn't see you there."

"U-uncle?!" Levanah shouted in a fading surprise. She figured the person looked familiar, and finally was able to pinpoint why.

"Oh, never really got the chance to introduce you two. I guess. Levanah, my Uncle Tigre." Haley said with an apologetic tone, pointing to the man with her thumb. "Uncle Tigre, my-"

"Your girlfriend, I know, I know." he finished, pulling out a card from his pocket. "Kristopher Tigre, attorney-at-law." He handed the card to the brunette girl.

"Daaaad." an annoyed grunt came from a short brunette girl with her hair done up in a ponytail, no more than 10 years old and dressed in a black and blue dress with white boots over her striped thigh-highs, standing beside him. "Can you let work go for just a day? You're at the American Championships."

"Hahaa! Sorry, sorry, force of habit." the man laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, his kid giving a soft jab to his arm.

Haley sighed and scooted away from her relatives' antics, waving to a bewildered Levanah. Attention quickly turned back to the new pair, the man clearing his throat. "So you're that Crossbone pilot, huh?" Levanah gave a quiet nod in response. "Haha, well you handled yourself decently in the first round, but don't expect me to go easy on ya' just because you're my niece's girlfriend." The girl's friends chuckled softly as she tried to pull her cap down to hide her face.

"Ah, Mister Tigre, I've been meaning to ask you." Blair spoke up, adjusting his glasses slightly. "That 'Wild Titus' of yours, I wasn't quite expecting something like it. While the build quality seems impressive, I take it you haven't exhausted all its tricks just yet. I'd assume-"

"Woah there kid, while I appreciate the compliment, can't start talking about what all my Gunpla can do just yet." He looked at Levanah wit a somewhat friendly smirk. "Especially when a potential opponent's within earshot."

"Understandable." the Asian boy said in agreement. "Still, you seem quite skilled. How long have you been at Gunpla Battle?"

"Haha! About as long as ol' 'Mad Bull' over there." He nodded in the direction of Greco, chatting and enjoying a meal with Fellini and another figure, a woman with dark blue hair sitting in a purple dress. "Actually got to fight him one time in the past. He wiped the floor with me."

"That's putting it mildly." the younger girl added, crossing her arms.

"But that was then, and this is now. Sort of felt like I had a chance at beating 'em this time around, but that ended up not being the case." He shrugged. "Either him or Nils, would be nice going up against the other American champ. Ah, but last I heard he's gonna represent Yajima. Oh well."

"Well actually-" Levanah attempted to correct him, but Kristopher didn't notice and continued.

"Now where'd Haley run off to?" he inquired, looking around for his niece. "Funny, I could have sworn she was here just a minute ago..."

"I think you scared her off, dad." the girl answered with an annoyed sigh. "Probably worried about you making a fool of yourself in front of her girlfriend. Well, more-so than usual."

"Katie, sweetie..." he grumbled, but seemed to retract any potential complaint. "Anyway, nice finally meeting you, Crossbone girl. Next set of matches are gonna be starting up soon, so we should get going. Good luck with your battle!"

* * *

><p>The first set of second round matches went off with a bang. In a colony city, Gregory Glenn stuck with his Red Frame Astray, the biggest change being an oversized Gerbera Straight, over a meter in length and looking more like it would fit the hands of a human than a Gunpla. In spite of a surprising amount of agility and grace in using the oversized weapon, though, Paulina Sykes' GX-Falcon flew circles around it, warily avoiding sword strikes and managing to get a number of carefully planned shots in on her opponent. Under the pressure, the Astray simply couldn't keep up, and a lucky Beam Machinegun hit in the torso put it down for good.<p>

Levanah meanwhile was facing off against a blue Jegan with a Gouf head, Heat Rod, and shield in a tundra setting. Taking care to not repeat the mistakes of her previous opponent, the pilot kept to a tactical approach, trying to lure the girl into its attacks. Conscious of this, Levanah instead kept her distance, the Crossbone EXCELSA's Twin Murasama Busters taking sniping shots when possible.

As the other battle ended, Levanah's raged on, neither fighter giving the other an inch to work off of. Finally attempting to gain the upper hand, the Jegan managed to feint an attack and close in on the Crossbone, Heat Rod ready for a fierce strike. Thinking fast, Levanah locked one of her Gunpla's weapons down and prepped the Beam Shield, blocking the attack.

"Gotcha!" Levanah shouted with a confident smirk as the Beam Shield began to rotate, obliterating the entirety of the Heat Rod. Before her opponent could manage a response, the shield moved upwards over the Crossbone's fist, the spiraling energy focusing to a single point. "This is it! Beam... _Drill_... _BRANDER!_" the girl shouted, pulling back the control and punching it forward, her Gundam mimicking her motions and plunging a large Beam Drill into the Jegan's side, tearing away at the armor and messily bisecting the enemy Gunpla. With a satisfying explosion, the match was called.

[BATTLE ENDED]

"Let's give a big round of applause to the victors, folks!" Haley shouted to a cheering audience. Paulina flashed two V-signs while giving a wide, toothy smile, Levanah just raising her fist before approaching her opponent and congratulating him on the fight. "Those were some great battles, but this round is far from over!"

As the fighters left the field, Jen Mul and her cohorts watched on in the lunch room. "Well well, quite an amusing little show your kid can put on, Mike. Little Levanah's growing up so fast." Jen thought aloud.

"Pardon, captain?" Mr. Russ asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just realizing that Raito's failures weren't all his doing."

"My brother still has much to learn about Gunpla battle in either case." a younger girl's voice addressed the three, causing them all to turn around.

"Ah, Meri Yamato, to what do I owe the favor?" Jen spoke with a comforting smile.

"Merely in the area. Felt like checking up on you three... asking about your encounter with that girl's father." her tone took a sharp turn from friendly to serious.

"Ahaha! Mike and I go way back. I remember when he, Jean and I... well, anyway, while he seemed concerned I managed to smooth things over with him. Really, it was nothing that would endanger out mission." Jen crossed her arms. "Have there been any serious problems lately? I know about the last... incident, but we're more than ready should push come to shove with the girl."

"Very well, we cannot stand another loss after the last..." she hesitated, looking down. "...Eight."

"Eight? You mean... but what happened to..." Jen's face became filled with confusion. _Well crap. That's the perfect way to put a damper on your spirits._ She thought silently.

The girl let out an exhausted sigh. She looked around with an exaggerated, almost comedic frown on her face, eyebrows furling as she noticed Fellini. "Well, Luca didn't stand a chance against _him_, for starters. Tomas lost in the first round, and by all accounts it was... painful to watch. Kalem made it to the semi-finals, but de Sand was too much for him to handle. Gabriel..." she shuddered for a moment, "...I don't know _what_ he came down with, but just _thinking_ about it makes me queasy. Needless to say, he will be unable to participate in Gunpla Battle for quite some time."

The trio listened on in stunned silence as the girl continued. "Hwiung had to forfeit because of his sister's operation, and we're not going to pressure him on that. Won't serve well with anyone's conscious forcing him not to be there for her. Rixiang broke her arms during an event she absolutely refuses to share to anyone, but from what her family mentioned, a lobster and a baby panda were involved. Leo might have been able to head to one of Japan's regional divisions, but apparently a cousin of his, Shirona... well, I guess there's a reason some of the Gunpla academies in Japan are looking to recruit her. And, well, you are already fully aware of what happened to Raito."

Jen rested her face in the palm of her hand. "The only ones left are you, me, and Marke. Am I correct?"

"...yes." Meri sighed with hint of shame.

"Fantastic. Just... fantastic." the woman commented in irritation, rubbing her forehead as if listening to that gave her a headache. "I take it you will attempt to convince the champion?"

"It... is still worth a shot I believe." her hesitation became apparent, aware of how difficult such a task would be. "Iori Sei could become a valuable asset if we can convince him. So it's here in America and over in England that we have to focus our concerns on for now."

"Has Marke improved enough to be able to win over 'across the pond?' I know Julian is in the tournament this year." McNiel spoke up from behind Jen.

"I guess that there's the good news." the girl shrugged. "From what I can tell, he's improved significantly. He seems more driven, too, since we're down to such a small official number, and I hope to avoid going to more... drastic measures again." she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to make sure things don't come to that, right? It's not like our Voyager is going to go down without a fight." Jen spoke up with a sense of pride, trying to reassure the girl. She was less than convinced, but reacted in a manner that showed she at least appreciated the thought.

"As long as we can manage to expand the potential of the Plavsky particles, it will be worth it." Meri crossed her arms. "Yajima will either bend or break by the time this tournament is over. Their monopoly can't last forever."

"Rest assured, Miss Yamato, we will be able to accomplish our goals without much difficulty, based on the information we have available." Mr. Russ added. "It is important, however, that we do not let our guard down. We are all aware that there are abilities that the fighters in this tournament have not yet showcased." He turned his head to the monitor, the next pair of fights already underway.

* * *

><p>"Take this! <em>Wiiiiild... Lariat<em>!" Kristopher shouted, directing his Gunpla to charge at his opponent. A spinning beam around the arm of his Wild Titus almost connected to the enemy Gunpla, a ZAKU Phantom with a Mirage Colloid system built in. In spite of the miss, the ZAKU stumbled, almost falling prey to a swift leg strike by the Wild Titus. Attempting to retake control, it released a flurry of weapons' fire, cloaking itself and trying to take cover behind the ruins of a building. A tense silence hovered, broken only by the footsteps of the Wild Titus slowly, cautiously trying to locate its opponent.

Kristopher took a deep breath, closing his eyes and focusing purely on audio cues. At last he heard the opposing Gunpla's slow, calculated movements. Without a moment to lose, he locked on to the ZAKU, it about to fire down at the Wild Titus. To its surprise, a grappling hook burst out from the arm of Kristopher's Gunpla, grabbing it and yanking it closer. "Let's try this again! _WILD LARIAT!_" he shouted, the spinning beam around the Gunpla's free arm activating as it dashed forward at full speed, grappling hook reeling in like . This time, the attack hit home, messily tearing the enemy Gunpla in half and finishing off the ZAKU Phantom for good.

[BATTLE ENDED]

As the holograms disappeared, the crowd cheered. Kristopher congratulated his opponent with a high-five. He could see his daughter sitting with Levanah's group, cheering wildly.

"Dad may act like a dork most of the time, but when he's serious, things can be quite a turnabout." she said with a wide, ecstatic grin to the others.

"He's good, no question about that." Blair spoke with affirmation. "More than appearances suggest. It's obvious that he has more in store."

"Levvy, you really think you can beat him?" Belle asked with a tone of concern, biting her thumb.

"Hrmn... well..." Levanah hesitated in answering. _If things get really dicey, I'll have to..._

"Hah, you're good, Pirate Girl, but dad's not going down that easily." Katie interjected smugly. "He'll defeat you in battle in no time."

_Oh lord here we go_... Levanah thought to herself, trying to find a way to deflect from the subject at hand. "That's a whole other round before either of us would be able to face each other, let's wait until after that before we go into who's better, ok?"

The younger girl gave a fake frown. "You're no fun." She leaned back in her seat, tossing some popcorn in her mouth. "Guess Haley really was exaggerating over you..." she grumbled.

_Exaggerating over... what, exactly?_ Levanah began to speculate to herself, turning away.


End file.
